Tickets on Sale for June 17 Premiere of His New Movie "The Soldier in the Barn"
By Lawrence Evenchick & Albert Lightstone
I currently have the pleasure of working with Lawrence Evenchick on the upcoming OLT production of Around the World in 80 Days. He has been associated with the Ottawa Little Theatre for decades, runs his own entertainment venue, and will be appearing in an upcoming feature film having its premiere on Saturday June 17 at the Mayfair Theatre, tickets available at the link below. I reached out to discuss with him all things entertainment in our Nation’s capital.
Click here for tickets to Soldier in the Barn
Let’s get started at the beginning. I believe that you are one of the few current Ottawans who actually hail from this city. What was it like back then?
I was born and raised in Ottawa, Elmvale Acres/Alta Vista area, a stone’s throw from where the hospital complex now stands. I remember long days playing in the fields and forests where CHEO and the General are. Youngest of seven in a ski family. Dad was a ski instructor, so we were on the slopes from day one to the end of the season.
Where did you go to school, and what was your career route?
All schools in the area – Pleasant Park, Vincent Massey, Hillcrest. If Canterbury had been an arts high school at the time, I would have gone there, but that came later. Studied acting at Ryerson (then a polytechnical institute, whatever that means. Best theatre school in the country at the time). Worked as a server, got a combined BA in Economics and Law, got married, moved to England and studied acting at a LAMDA-associated studio, moved back to Ottawa and had kids, settled into a life working in the family jewelry biz and raising a family…part of which included a divorce LOL. All the time I kept acting. When the kids were young only one show a year, then more – OLT, Orpheus, Tara…wherever.
And what do you do now ?
As much as I can. Since roughly 2008 I’ve been back up to 2-3 shows a year, added film to my projects, and I own and operate Live! on Elgin, a live entertainment venue, with one of my sons.
What is Live! on Elgin?
Fancy you should ask! It is a live entertainment on Elgin Street, above Zak’s Diner. We opened in 2015 and yay, survived 18 months of road closure followed by two years of COVID.
The name of the venue is unique. What’s the back story?
My son Jon was in a band when he went to Nepean High School. After graduating he kicked around – Lakehead University for Outdoor Ed, then Ottawa U for Psych. At some point in 2013 he told me he wanted to get his business diploma from Algonquin College and work in the music industry in Ottawa…maybe open a venue.
At the same time my friend Chantale Plante (whom I met through TotoToo Theatre and who brought me back to OLT after a longish hiatus) and I were discussing the fact that there was a dearth of small black box theatres in Ottawa – places where one could mount a very basic production, without spending a fortune; where one could actually maybe make a small profit on a production. She had just returned from New Orleans and described a small theatre that presented professional productions in the back of a bar. The operation worked because the bar made decent money and so could rent out the theatre space at a rate that allowed actors to be paid. And voila…our ideas and Jon’s ideas merged into one space.
Live! on Elgin is so named because it’s not just a music venue. It is all about live local entertainment, including cabaret, burlesque, stand up comedy, full on plays, improv, drag shows and of course lots of music…even a festival of short films once a month.
You have been involved with the OLT since 1982. How did you get involved?
Was it 1982? I thought 1984, just after I graduated from Carleton. Ah well. I had met Lorraine St. Laurent from OLT, and a few other members, when I was performing with Sock n Buskin at Carleton. I must admit to not very good grades because I spent so much time on theatre productions and in the green room under Theatre A. She convinced me to audition for a summer show…an Agatha Christie called Black Coffee. That’s where I first met my future wife, as well as Venetia Lawless, Geoff Gruson, Sybil Cooke, Val Bogan…so many old friends.
Does Live! On Elgin ever work together with OLT?
In fact, no, we never have. Must look into that.
You have acted in a number of roles. What was your favourite ? What was your most challenging?
Tough question! There are many favourites. Certainly M. Thenardier in Les Misérables – which was also very challenging. The twins John and James Jeckyll in Love, Valour, Compassion as well. Most challenging and most favourite has to be a local adaptation of Romeo and Juliet by David Ross Whitely. It was done with a cast of four…one Romeo, one Juliet, one actor presenting all the lines of those on Romeo and Juliet’s side and one other presenting the lines of those against them. The whole show had musical underscoring that was played live and changed every performance based on what we as actors were doing. The same for the lighting….no pre-set cues or light settings, it was all done live and spontaneous for each performance. It was a gift to be able to work on it.
What are you currently acting in at the OLT?
Currently I am working on Around the World In 80 Days at OLT.
In Around the World, you have multiple roles with multiple accents. Is this a challenge for you?
Yes, but the challenge is not only the accents, but the physical characteristics of each individual as well. And their basic outlook on the world, making each of them a unique character.
You have worked on a number of productions at OLT. How is Around the World different say with the director, or the play itself?
Without doubt what drew me to the project was the opportunity to work with director Chris Ralph. We’ve known each other for years but never actually worked on a project together. The challenge of playing a multitude of characters was another draw.
Do you have an interesting story about the OLT that you would like to share ?
There are too many stories to tell! The OLT is a unique environment full of love of theatre, friends, laughs and the creation of live theatre.
You have also acted in film. What roles ?
My film adventures have primarily been in local indie productions that aren’t widely known. Playing Henry Higgins in My Fair Zombie – both the film and in the stage adaptation – was a lot of fun. But I’ve also been Bat Masterson, and an assortment of characters from sheriffs to bad guys to downright slimeballs.
How is acting in film different from on stage ?
To put it simply, it’s a matter of scale. On stage one needs to be big in voice and action and intent to be understood by the whole audience. For film, the audience is really just the camera which is very close. The slightest twitch of an eyebrow is huge. One needs to have full control of every aspect of what one is doing if one is switching back and forth between the two media.
Is there a thriving film industry in Ottawa ?
The indie film scene is growing steadily. I suppose there is inspiration derived from all of the professional films being shot here. But as they say, success breeds success, so the more people get involved and get their work shown, the more people understand that they too can get involved in the creative process.
You are currently in a new film which will be premiering June 17, tell me about it.
The Soldier in the Barn, written and directed by Richard Groen. It’s a local indie film project where I play Shadrach Byfield, a real British soldier from the War of 1812. It’s a story about the folly of war, to a certain extent. And about how we can learn from each other.
How can we get tickets ?
Online here. Tickets will also be available at the door.
You have a lot of experience on stage and film and operating your own entertainment company. What do you see as the future of live entertainment in Ottawa ?
Right now, I’d have to say the future is looking challenging but good. COVID shook things up, and a lot of people left the industry, companies folded and venues closed. It’s time to rebuild, but I believe that can be done. Audiences are returning and showing their love for live entertainment, and that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?
Anything else you would like to add ?
Thanks for asking me to participate, Albert. And thank you to anyone who takes the time to participate by reading this. Get out there and support local arts!!!
