The Great Canadian Theatre Company Presents THE VISIT Beginning May 31

The Great Canadian Theatre Company with the County of Carleton Law Association will be presenting Friedrich Dürrenmatt's The Visit from May 31st to June 3rd for the 23rd Annual Lawyer Play Fundraiser. Justice is a common theme in the works of Swiss playwright Dürrenmatt, and so it is fitting that a cast of lawyers and legal professionals will be in the spotlight playing villains, victims and criminals.

Ottawa's legal professionals will leave their robes behind and take on the roles of an eccentric cast of characters in a small European town - the mayor, the shopkeeper, a visiting billionaire, and her entourage. The fundraiser, featuring one preview performance and three special gala performances, will support the operations of the Great Canadian Theatre Company and 2023 charity partner, Belong Ottawa. This year's production is directed by Patrick Gautier.

The Lawyer Play is one of the legal community's longest-running and most successful fundraisers. Over the past 23 years, they've raised over $2 million in support of GCTC productions and selected charity partners. This year, the Lawyer Play Committee selected Belong Ottawa, a community organization that helps people who are precariously housed or homeless. Their programs offer a safe space - including meals, laundry, showers, or other support systems - so that everyone has a place where they feel they belong and where they are not alone.

Belong Ottawa is grateful to be chosen as the 2023 Charity Partner of the Ottawa Lawyer Play, says Board Chair Lorraine Tell. "Offering services that support people experiencing poverty, homelessness, or who are at risk of homelessness in the Lowertown and Centretown areas of Ottawa, Belong Ottawa believes in an inclusive community where no one is marginalized and everyone is valued and supported. The funds raised by the Ottawa Lawyer Play will be used to offset the financial impact of the fire and displacement to program costs at our St. Luke's site."

Attendees of the gala performances can look forward to a catered post-show reception, as well as complimentary tastings from names such as Harwood Winery (Prince Edward County), Kitchissippi Brewing, Dominion City, and Collective Arts. Additionally, there will be a silent auction with prizes that range from artwork, small kitchen appliances, collector vinyl, gift cards, and more.

With a plot that is part dark fable, part Greek tragedy, and part absurdist comedy, The Visit is a story of justice and revenge. Claire Zachanassian, world-famous billionaire returns to her small, impoverished hometown after 45 years away. To locals, Claire and her fortune are their only hope to save them from ruin. Her offer of salvation, however, comes with a price. Claire will donate one billion dollars to the town in exchange for the life of Anton Schill, a villager who betrayed and abandoned her many years ago. Will the villagers agree? Will Claire get her revenge? Watch it all unfold on the GCTC Mainstage.

Cast

Allison Russell

Amanda Montague-Reinholdt

Andrea Baldy

Bob Beaudoin

Brett Hodgins

Charlie Feldman

Dahlia Shuhaibar

Dan Hohnstein

Dan Moore

Elliott Buckland

Genevieve Therrien

Indrani Laroche

Hana Ahmad-Yousuf

Janice Payne

Jonathan Constable

Maggie MacDonald

Matt Shogilev

Natasha Chettiar

Paige Miltenburg

Russel Molot

Talia Deslauriers

Tara Berish

Ted Mann

Creative Team

Stage Manager - Anna Wood

Assistant Stage Manager - Alana Malanga

Set Designer - Will Somers

Sound & Music Designer - Nick Di Gaetano

Props Designer - Stephanie Dahmer Brett

Costume Designer - Billie Nell

Lx Designer - Florence Letarte

Tickets for the Gala evenings (June 1, 2, and 3) are $125 and include a post-show reception and a $75 tax receipt. A special price of $85 for new lawyers (2 years experience or less), valid only for the June 2nd performance, includes a $35 tax receipt. Tickets for the Preview performance on May 31 are SOLD OUT. Tickets are available through any cast member or at the GCTC Box Office by calling 613-236-5196 or online at www.gctc.ca/shows/lp23-visit.

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