Nestled downstairs at the Ottawa Little Theatre is a very special room with metres and metres of red upholstered sofas spanning its entire length. This unique place is appropriately called…of course…the Green Room? Colour blindness, where one cannot differentiate between red and green, actually runs in my family, but still….!
Ignoring the colour of the sofas which is a red herring (ignore the pun for now), the Green Room is actually a fixture in most British based theatres dating back centuries to the 1500s. There are many theories as to the origin of the name. One theory is that the room was outdoors and the ground covered with grass. Another belief states that the room was painted a calming green colour to relieve the strain on the actors eyes from the candles lighting the theatre. Other theories suggested that this was the place where nervous actors who looked and felt “green” would wait. Finally, an odd one was that makeup that was applied looked green and had to be cured to take on a more natural colour. The actors would have to sit somewhere while the makeup cured. That form of makeup is no longer used but the term Green Room remains.
However, according to a very reliable OLT source, in actuality, the true story about the green room – is that in earlier times before nice places to relax were available, actors off stage or before entrances hung out in the storage area where the “greenery” – bushes, tree, plants etc used for set dressing – were stored. Hence the term “green” room
Cheryl and Michelle in the Green Room during a performance of Gaslight.
At the OLT, the Green Room is used on almost a daily basis for all manner of reasons. The cast of the plays can relax in a comfortable location when they are not required for the scene on stage. There is a TV so they can follow what is going on upstairs while they await their cue to go on. In addition the stage manager is in contact via an intercom system to call the actors when required.
The room serves also as a meeting place for friends and family to gather and greet the actors and crew post performance. Having a full kitchen adjacent makes it a natural place to get together and hold parties. Many Board and Committee meetings are also held in that space.
Recently the room has undergone somewhat of a facelift to replace old photos and newspapers clippings with show boards and posters that will be rotated on a monthly basis. Rest assured that Geoff and Albert will soon find a new home for all of the historical artifacts.
If you have a chance to visit the Green Room, please take a moment to peruse the rich history of the OLT being displayed on its walls.
-Albert