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Odyssey Theatre presents Arms and the Man

Written by George Bernard Shaw, Arms and The Man dates from 1894, but its enduring themes have kept it in frequent revival. This summer Odyssey Theatre gives it the mask treatment and brings Arms and The Man under the stars at Strathcona park.

Andy Massingham, Pippa Leslie, and Attila Clemann talk about Arms and The Man and give you a peek at one of the scenes:

Trouble with the video, watch directly on YouTube instead.

A look at Arms and the Man, presented by Odyssey TheatreOur story begins in Raina Petkoff’s bed chambers. Raina is a young Bulgarian woman in a ferociously upwardly mobile family. A romantic caught in the throes of hero worship, she dreams of her fiancé Major Sergius Saranoff, currently in the midst of a great battle against the Serbs. Suddenly, an intruder enters her bedroom. He’s Captain Bluntschli, a Swiss mercenary and hotelier’s son fighting for the losing Serb army. She’s both appalled and amused by his disheveled appearance and his ravenous appetite for chocolate. With the help of her mother and one of her father’s old coats she helps him evade the Bulgarian troupes. At war’s end, husband–to-be and father return home, revelling in the telling of war stories, the best involving a Serbian officer who evaded capture by “entertaining” a patriotic young Bulgarian lady in her chambers. Things get only more complicated and funny from there.

Arms and The Man is directed by Andy Massingham (director of Odyssey’s wonderful The Game of Love and Chance last summer) and stars, Attila Clemann, Doreen Taylor-Claxton, Pierre Brault, David Warburton, Pippa Leslie, Dylan George, and Claire Armstrong.

The show runs Tue-Sun @ 8pm from July 25th through til August 25th at Strathcona park. Tickets for the show are $24, with discounts for seniors and students and children and special family packages. Sunday evening shows are pay what you can.Thursday and Sunday matinees take place through August indoors at Academic Hall (135 Seraphim-Marion) on the University of Ottawa campus. Matinee tickets are $15 with discounts for students and seniors and special family packages.

Tickets can be purchased online at Odyssey’s website or in person at the box office which opens one hour before each show.

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Photos

All photos taken for Production Ottawa by David Pasho. Also check out the larger gallery on our Facebook page.

What do you think? Have you or will you see the show? Tell us in the comments below.

Preview article prepared by Allan Mackey with information from Odyssey Theatre.
Video preview produced by Valley Wind Productions.
Producer: Allan Mackey
Photographer: David Pasho