Third Wall Theatre Company
2007/2008 Season: Dualities
The Third Wall Story
Soon to be a major motion picture
Third Wall Theatre Company was founded by Artistic Director James Richardson and a number of colleagues in February of 2001 to remount a production of John Patrick Shanley's The Big Funk. After a successful run at the Arts Court in Ottawa and a well received tour of Atlantic Canada, Third Wall planned for its first official season in 2002.
The success of the first season came as a surprise to everyone, including the members of the company. Their first show The Importance of Being Earnest at Arts Court Theatre in January of 2002 exceeded all expectations, boasting a full house for three of the four nights of the run, turning away more than 100 patrons on the last night. Due to the overwhelming success of the show, Third Wall remounted the show on Valentine's Day to once again impressive crowds.
Third Wall's following seasons were met with much of the same success. Productions of T.S. Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral and Strindberg’s Miss Julie, and a brand new translation of Molière’s The Misanthrope maintained the high artistic calibre that had come to be expected from the company.
In their fourth season, Third Wall prepared for its role as Ottawa’s youngest fully professional company. In fact, the Capital Critics Circle awarded the company with the Best Professional Production of the 2004-2005 season for their sensational production of Steven Berkhoff’s Greek, directed by Kevin Orr. This was the first time a company other than the National Arts Centre or the Great Canadian Theatre Company had claimed the major prize at the Capital Critics Circle Awards.
Now in their sixth season of producing quality theatre in the nation’s capital, Third Wall presents three classic plays from the world repertory. In October, local celebrity Pierre Brault starred in an adaptation of Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus. In the New Year, theatre lovers can look forward to Harold Pinter’s Betrayal, directed by Natalie Joy Quesnel and Oliver Goldsmith’s Restoration comedy She Stoops to Conquer, directed by Todd Duckworth. Both directors are recent graduates from the University of Ottawa’s new Master of Fine Arts in directing program.
Third Wall - The Name
People often ask about the origin of the name Third Wall. It was coined by Artistic Director James Richardson to sum up his philosophy of the production. In theatre, there exists a notion of an imaginary fourth wall that separates the audience from the performance. We view the audience as the most important role of any show, and believe that they should not be viewed as separate from the production, but as a vital part of it. Thus, our theatre ends at the Third Wall.
