Ottawa Little Theatre’s current building opened in 1972 and is undergoing major renovations this August as part of the Renew the Building ACT IV: Interior Renovation and Accessibility campaign, providing improved accessibility and comfort to patrons.
A major part of the renovation is replacing all of the seats in the auditorium. Rather than have the old seats become landfill, the Ottawa Little Theatre reached out to see where in the community they could be donated. “In a world of social and environmental conscience, it was Ottawa Little Theatre’s first thought to donate our seats to another organization that would appreciate the usefulness and cost savings of these storied seats. In the spirit of volunteerism and giving back, we are pleased to partner with the Ottawa Catholic School Board on this project. The new audiences will be sitting in seats occupied by Yousuf and Estralitta Karsh, Daniel MacIvor, Canadian and international heads of state, famous actors and the many generous patrons of OLT.” – Cate Proctor, Managing Director, Ottawa Little Theatre.
We are happy to announce that our much loved seats are being donated to the Ottawa Catholic School Board’s Notre Dame High School. “The Ottawa Catholic School Board sincerely appreciates the generous donation by the Ottawa Little Theatre of 467 theatre-style seats. The new seating will be a great addition to the Notre Dame High School Auditorium and will also benefit the wider community that regularly uses the space. The incorporation of the repurposed seating helps give a fresh look to the space, significantly reduces our renewal costs while facilitating the inclusion of 16 wheelchair accessible places that will benefit persons with disabilities. Thank you to our friends and partners at OLT.” – Denise Andre, Director of Education, Ottawa Catholic School Board.
Such a major renovation during OLT’s only dark month requires a lot of planning. The show Pardon Me, Prime Minister will close on Saturday, July 29 and then construction preparations begin immediately following the final bow with the set being struck into the wee hours of the morning. Sunday will see the Ottawa Art Association removing their artwork from the theatre lobby. Monday and Tuesday the seats are removed for the OCSB and then Wednesday, August 2 the space is handed over to the contractors. The 2017-2018 Season will open on September 20, 2017 where patrons will be able to enjoy the brand new fully licensed auditorium – featuring new, larger, and more comfortable seats – complete with cup holders, better acoustics and upgrades to the accessible Besserer Street entrance. For more information on the project and how you can become involved, visit ottawalittletheatre.com.