Ottawa Storytellers Signature Series
Discover the Art of Storytelling – Live in Ottawa and On Demand
Join us for the city’s only professional storytelling series, where unforgettable performances bring stories to life.
Live Performances - unless otherwise noted, all shows begin at 2:00 p.m. in the Blackbox Studio at Arts Court (2 Daly Avenue).
This season, Ottawa StoryTellers continues to offer both in-person and on demand viewing.
On Demand – Your Story, Your Schedule
Can’t join us in person? Each Signature Series performance is recorded and available on demand starting the day after the show. Watch anytime within one week – and revisit your favourite moments as often as you like. Ticket holders will receive a private viewing link the day after the performance.
Signature Series Events
Bottle Lamp Tales
Artist: Jan Blake Thursday October 23 at 7:30pm
In Jamaica, at the end of a village bonfire, children were sent home alone after dark, leaving the parents to tell stories by the fire. The children were given bottle lamps, made by stuffing a rag into a bottle filled with kerosene. After an evening of hearing stories about duppies and boo hags, the walk home was filled with terror, as will this evening of scary stories for adults.
Lifestyles of the Rich and the Shameless
Artist: Tom Lips Sunday November 16 at 2:00pm
Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless is a sharp, witty storytelling event, featuring music, that takes aim at the glittering (and often absurd) world of extreme wealth. Riffing on the 80s and 90s TV show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, this performance trades fawning admiration for playful critique, weaving together original tales, classic stories, and clever songs about billionaires, power, and the pursuit of too much money. With a mix of humour, insight, and bite, Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless offers an entertaining—and thought-provoking—look at society’s fascination with the super-rich.
The Women in Me
Artist: Sao-Mai Nguyen Sunday January 18 at 2:00pm
This new storytelling performance traces a personal and cultural journey through stories of womanhood, weaving legend, family history, and lived experience into one evening. It begins with a Vietnamese legend, a tale of unwavering devotion that shaped both a nation’s landscape and the storyteller’s early ideas of a woman’s role. From there, the stories move through three generations of her own family, whose lives during and after the Vietnam War echoed that same longing and resilience. Together, these stories chart an awakening, illuminating how myths, memory, and modern encounters intertwine to expand one woman’s understanding of the female experience.
Recovering Romantic
Artist: Briane Nasimok Sunday February 22 at 2:00pm
Recovering Romantic is an immersive storytelling performance set within the weekly meetings of “Romantics Anonymous,” a support group for those navigating the often-disastrous world of dating. As the meetings unfold, storyteller Briane shares a series of humorous tales of love, heartbreak, and hope, occasionally drawing audience members into the experience. Across three “meetings,” the performance builds to a deeply personal revelation, offering an intimate, witty, and heartfelt exploration of what it means to search for – and redefine – romance today.
Grimm | Dark Paths and Wild Wonder
OST Annual Long Show March 22 at 2:00pm
The Brothers Grimm is our annual long show event that invites audiences to (re)discover the enduring power of the Grimm brothers’ folktales. First collected in 17th-century Europe from farmers, midwives, and other everyday storytellers, these vivid and dramatic tales have been retold, translated, and reimagined countless times across cultures and centuries. Despite modern critiques of their dated and problematic elements, the stories continue to captivate, offering wisdom, wonder, and profound insights into the human experience. This event will present a carefully chosen selection of these timeless stories, honoring their origins while revealing their raw beauty and relevance for listeners in Ottawa today.
The Strategy Of War: Aztec Mythology
Artist: Mera Reyes Sunday June 7 at 2:00pm
The Strategy of War: Magic and Splendor of Aztec Mythology is a powerful storytelling performance that breathes new life into the ancient creational myths of the Aztec empire. Accompanied by live percussion, Storyteller Mera Reyes draws on deep research, collaborating with indigenous artists, oral tradition leaders, and educators to restore these stories to their original oral form. Once nearly erased after the Spanish conquest of 1519–1521, these myths endure as the spiritual heartbeat of Aztec culture, though they remain inaccessible to many today. This performance seeks to reclaim that heritage, inviting audiences into a world of poetic language, cosmic vision, and profound cultural memory—an experience that celebrates the enduring power of the Aztec story to be told by its own people once again.
Special Events
(un)Told: Stories That Stayed With Us
Sunday April 26 at 2:00pm
This brand-new showcase celebrates the best of Ottawa StoryTellers’ monthly personal storytelling series, (un)Told. Experience a curated selection of the most powerful, funny, and moving stories shared over the past year. Featuring a diverse lineup of both new and emerging storytellers, the event captures the raw honesty and intimate magic that have made (un)Told a community favorite. This special performance offers a chance to revisit unforgettable moments and discover fresh voices, all woven together in an evening of connection and shared humanity.
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village
Sunday May 3 at 2:00pm
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village brings to life the wit, hardship, and humanity of 13th-century England through the voices of youth storytellers aged 13–24. Based on Laura Amy Schlitz’s award-winning collection, the performance introduces a vivid cast of characters—from boar-hunting lords’ nephews to peasants, and mischief-makers—all sharing their stories with humor and heart. Each tale offers a window into the struggles and triumphs of medieval village life, creating a tapestry of voices that is both historically rich and strikingly relatable. Performed by young storytellers, this event invites audiences to step into the past while hearing it through the energy and perspective of the present.
Adisoke
Sunday June 14 at 2:00pm
Adisoke is a storytelling event that celebrates Indigenous voices and traditions, presented in partnership with Ottawa StoryTellers. Featuring a diverse group of Indigenous tellers, the event offers stories that carry the wisdom, humour, and resilience of their cultures—tales that connect past, present, and future. Through personal narratives, traditional teachings, and reimagined legends, Adisoke invites audiences to listen deeply and experience storytelling as a living practice of community and connection. This powerful afternoon honours the voices of Indigenous storytellers and the stories only they can tell.
