June 27-29, 2024
7:30 Thursday-Saturday
Join award-winning interdisciplinary artist Jesse Stewart for a one-person show that weaves together storytelling and music to celebrate individuals who have left an indelible mark on the playwright鈥檚 life. With a blend of humour, emotion, and introspection, each character comes to life through engaging anecdotes and musical interludes performed on a variety of unusual musical instruments. From an enigmatic factory worker with a teardrop tattoo, to a US-marine-turned-Buddhist-priest-and-sculptor, Characters delves deep into the profound impact that diverse personalities can have on our own lives and stories.
Suitable for all ages.
Run time approximately 2h
Holding degrees in music, visual art, and English and theatre studies, Oshawa-born/Ottawa-based interdisciplinary artist Jesse Stewart is dedicated to reimagining the spaces between artistic disciplines. His music has been documented on over twenty recordings including Stretch Orchestra鈥檚 self-titled debut album, which was honoured with the 2012 鈥淚nstrumental Album of the Year鈥� Juno award. Having been widely commissioned as a composer and artist, he has created instruments, music, performance art works, and interactive sound art installations using such diverse materials as stone, ice, water, fire, glass, books, turntables, chemical reactions, and more.
His work has been heralded by critics, journalists, and creative practitioners from around the globe who have described it as 鈥渢ruly exciting鈥� (Musicworks 76), 鈥渆xceptional鈥� (Cadence Oct. 2002), 鈥減henomenal鈥� (Cadence Nov. 1999), and 鈥渋ngenious鈥� (Exclaim! June 2006). 鈥淪tewart quietly opens the door for us to a limitless world of delicate sonic beauty鈥� writes Randy Raine-Reusch in Musicworks 97. 鈥淗ighly recommended ear-cleansing鈥� states a review in Italy鈥檚 Touching Extremes (2007). 鈥淛esse Stewart is an eloquent and poetically powerful percussionist, composer, improviser and teacher鈥攁 man of ideas and inventions,鈥� writes jazz legend William Parker. 鈥淛esse is an incredibly innovative artist. He鈥檚 a performance artist, he鈥檚 a jazz drummer, he鈥檚 an incredible creative force鈥� states Roman Borys, cellist with the internationally acclaimed Gryphon Trio. 鈥淗e鈥檚 extraordinary,鈥� states creative polymath Michael Snow, 鈥渉e is constantly surprising.鈥�
, his first one-person show that was performed at the Gladstone Theatre in July 2023, received rave reviews. A film of that show has been making waves internationally as an official selection at multiple film festivals and was named 鈥淏est Feature Film鈥� by the Experimental Dance & Music Film Festival in Toronto.
Jesse Stewart is a professor of music in 杏吧原创 University鈥檚 music program and an adjunct professor in the visual arts department at the University of Ottawa.
Regular $41
Regular(65+) $37
Student/Artist/Unwaged $26
Angel $75**
*All prices include taxes and non-negotiable facility fee
**Angel tickets are for any 鈥淎ngel鈥� who wants to go above and beyond in supporting Jesse Stewart.
The Gladstone only retains the facility fee.