Great Canadian theater company (GCTC)

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PROJECT TITLE

Great Canadian Theatre Company – 50th Anniversary Season Posters

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OVERVIEW

I had the honor of being commissioned to create the key visuals for the Great Canadian Theatre Company’s 50th anniversary season. This included five distinct posters, each representing one of the plays in the season lineup. The commission allowed me to immerse myself in each story, reading the scripts ahead of time and working in close collaboration with the GCTC team to build visuals that captured not only the narrative arcs but also the emotional essence of each production.

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CONCEPT & INSPIRATION

To develop a strong concept, I was granted early access to all five scripts. Through in-depth conversations with the incredible team—especially Sarah and Natalie—we crafted five pieces designed to offer two distinct experiences: one before the show and a completely different one after.

Once the final concepts were approved, the team suggested a brilliant color palette to unify the monochrome illustrations, giving each poster its own identity while tying them all together visually and emotionally. The result was a collection of images that operate like visual riddles—layered, bold, and deeply tied to each play’s soul.

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ILLUSTRATION & SYMBOLISM

Beowulf in Afghanistan
A Canadian soldier harnesses the medieval Anglo-Saxon text of Beowulf as a life raft through the clash of conflict, and after. A world premiere, supported by GCTC’s Tributary Project.

FLOP! An Improvised Musical Fiasco
The playwright quit, there’s no sheet music, the choreographer was cancelled and the director went into rehab. World-class performers scramble to create a miraculous new musical in this highwire act of skill, comedy, and desperation.

The Anger in Ernest and Ernestine
Ernest and Ernestine are in puppy love. Then they move into a tiny basement apartment together. Can their love sustain cohabitation? A hometown team of Ottawa’s finest take on this Canadian comedy classic.

Vierge
Sixteen-year-old Divine’s only real friend is Jesus. When her family joins a new church she learns that the world around her is not as it seems. With heart and humour, Vierge follows four Congolese-Canadian girls as they navigate Christianity, virginity, and teenage hormones.

Why It’s Possible to Raise a Girl
Beth is struggling to stay afloat as a single parent, a working professional, and the 45 year old resident of her mother’s basement. A show about the complex relationship between mother and child.

LAUNCH

The campaign launched across Ottawa in February 2024, with posters distributed throughout the city and adapted for digital, print, and outdoor advertising. The visual identity of the season has been embraced not only as promotional material but as part of the theatrical experience, generating discussion before and after each show.