Exciting Multimedia Sensation Bigger Than Jesus Presents Challenging Poit of View about Faith
Bigger Than Jesus is created by Rick Miller and Daniel Brooks
Ottawa, ON, Apr 18, 2006 –Bigger Than Jesus opens at the Great Canadian Theatre Company on Thursday, May 4, 2006 at 8:00 pm. Preview on Wednesday, May 3.
After critical acclaim on their international tour through Munich, Stuttgart, Berlin, Frankfurt, Sydney, as well as venues in Canada and the United States,Rick Miller and Daniel Brooks bring the multimedia spectacle Bigger Than Jesus to Ottawa’s Great Canadian Theatre Company. Having won the 2005 Dora Award for Outstanding Actor this exciting, fast-paced, thought-provoking ride leads the way for a new kind of multimedia theatre.
Weaving together the Catholic liturgy, the gospels and some good old-fashioned bible-thumpin’, Bigger Than Jesus, is a funny and poignant multimedia mass that questions the mysteries of life and the thorny crown of Christianity. Divided into substantial units, Rick Miller, though alone on stage, brings to life a plethora of different characters: A Jewish academic, a revivalist preacher, an obsequious flight attendant, and, finally, Jesus himself. There is even a scene of the Last Supper, in which Miller begins with a series of tiny plastic dolls – everyone from Jesus to the Tin Man, George W. Bush and Darth Vader. Throughout this piece Miller makes use of a live video camera that allows him to use clever staging and facial expressions to dramatic effect, literally allowing the audience a mind’s eye view into believers, skeptics, power mongers, faithful and unfaithful alike.
Having been produced from the collaboration of two companies, WYRD Productions and Necessary Angel Theatre Company, Bigger Than Jesushas been born out of all the creative power an audience could handle.
WYRD Productions is no stranger to the limelight having been involved in the development of new theatre since 1995. Founded by Rick Miller as a company devoted to multi-disciplinary artistic creation, it has since evolved into one of Canada’s leading international exporters of culture. Blending theatre and comedy, art and entertainment, music and multimedia, WYRD has produced the award-winning shows MacHomer, Art, Slightly Bent, Me, Myself & MacHomer, Into The Ring (with Dawson Nichols) and Bigger Than Jesus (with Daniel Brooks).
Complimenting WYRD, Necessary Angel Theatre Company has been in the business producing original, influential Canadian theatre for more than twenty-five years. No stranger to the Ottawa arts scene, Necessary Angel was last seen in 2005’s Magnetic North Theatre Festival in their completely sold-out run of Half Life. Outstanding productions developed at Necessary Angel have won numerous local and national awards including Canada’s inaugural Siminovitch award for Daniel Brooks’ direction. In 2002, Daniel Brooks, one of Canada’s most innovative theatre artists, assumed leadership of the Company from its founding artistic director in 2003. The Company is committed to the long-term development of new and original works.
Bigger Than Jesus is co-created by Rick Miller and Daniel Brooks. Lighting and Set Design by Beth Kates and Sound Design by Ben Chaisson.
Bigger Than Jesus previews Wednesday, May 3 and opens Thursday, May 4, and runs until May 14.
Previews: $24
Matinees: $24
Weekday Evenings: $36
Weekend Evenings: $40
*Remember, a $2 surcharge is added to the price of every ticket this season, with proceeds going to our Making it Greater Capital Campaign.
GCTC Box Office: 236-5196
Monday – Friday, Noon - 6:30 pm
Saturday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
www.gctc.ca
For media information, contact Adam Stephens at (613) 236-5192, ext. 229, or via e-mail at publicity@gctc.ca
