Odyssey Theatre’s 39th season of Theatre Under the Stars in Strathcona Park features a new work by founder Laurie Steven

Britney Forget

A beloved tradition returns to Sandy Hill this summer! Odyssey Theatre launches its 39th season of Theatre Under the Stars with the premiere of The Girl With No Hands, a darkly comic fantasy by award-winning local theatre creator Laurie Steven. The production runs from July 31 to August 24, 2025, on Odyssey’s open-air stage in scenic Strathcona Park.

Laurie Steven, Odyssey’s founding artistic director, has been at the creative helm of the company for nearly four decades. The longtime Sandy Hill resident introduced imaginative, outdoor theatre to the community, giving shape to Odyssey’s unique masked, physically theatrical productions under the open sky.

This summer, Steven premieres her new original work, The Girl with No Hands, taking audiences on an adventure both fantastical and deeply human. At the heart of the play is a girl who has lost her hands—a dreamer who has lost her ability to dream. With the walls of her life closing in, she is lured into a crumbling fantasy world where she becomes the reluctant heroine of a story with a mind of its own.

She is hailed as a long-awaited saviour by a trio of bumbling outcasts, courted by a desperate king, entangled in the romantic schemes of an eccentric spirit, and hunted by a devil hell-bent on destroying her. But when true love doesn’t deliver a happy ending, she must take charge of her own story.

The play is inspired by the Brothers Grimm’s “The Handless Maiden,” one of few classic folktales centred on a female lead. Though often touted as the feminist answer to the hero’s journey, Steven found its vision of healing through love, marriage and motherhood limiting.

“I thought, what if she was angry after what happened to her and inclined not to trust people?” explains Steven. “What if she balked against marriage and motherhood?” The result is a haunting, darkly funny and moving tale of a modern heroine battling inner demons and reclaiming her voice.

Set in a gothic, fantasy world brought vividly to life by an accomplished creative team, the production showcases Odyssey’s signature style. Stunning masks, bold costumes, elaborate movement and original sound and music will create a surreal world haunted by pig-nosed demons, soaring wraiths, a sharply wicked queen mother, and a devil with multiple disguises.

The production’s talented ensemble includes Odyssey veteran actors Bruce Spinney, Chandel Gambles, Nicholas Koy Santillo, Marlow Stainfield, Scott McCulloch, and William Beddoe. Joining them are newcomers Erin Mackey and award-winning film actress Valerie Buhagiar. Together, they bring to life over thirty unforgettable characters for a memorable night of theatre.

Since introducing open-air theatre to Ottawa 38 years ago, Odyssey has been a cultural cornerstone of Sandy Hill, drawing thousands each summer to its stage on the scenic banks of the Rideau River at the north end of Strathcona Park.

The Girl with No Hands runs Tuesdays through Sundays at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. For tickets and information, visit odysseytheatre.ca.