In Memory of Mitzi Hauser

We are deeply saddened to share the passing of Diana (Mitzi) Hauser on December 20, 2024.

Mitzi was a key part of PAL Ottawa’s founding history, and was involved in other organizations and collectives, such as the Ottawa Little Theatre. She was an immense advocate and supporter of the arts, often contributing as an artist herself as an actor, musician, dancer, and choreographer.

Mitzi Hauser: A founding member of PAL Ottawa:
In 2010, Jim Bradford assembled a group of Ottawa-Gatineau arts leaders to create a Steering Committee that would investigate the creation of a PAL for Ottawa’s arts community. One of those people was Mitzi Hauser. Mitzi served as Secretary for the Steering Committee for two years and then as Secretary as a member of the Founding Board of Directors of the newly incorporated entity. In 2011, she undertook a critical step toward creating the PAL Ottawa that we know today – the first community Needs Assessment Survey which demonstrated an 89% desire by people from the arts to live in a PAL complex.

Mitzi also had a hand in building our Supporting Cast program. Mitzi had a deep insight and empathy that enhanced our Supporting Cast program in its early days, helping to establish the care we would come to provide in helping to improve the quality of life for all the senior artists who in their turn had given so much to us.  

In 2014, Mitzi and former Board Member, Michael Namer, facilitated the inaugural volunteer training session which launched the Ottawa/Carleton Supporting Cast community-wide initiative. “Throughout our years of collaboration Mitzi always made a difference,” says Michael. 

Mitzi Hauser: Actor and Beloved member of Ottawa Little Theatre:
Mitzi was the daughter of Florence Fancott, one of OLT’s most distinguished actors and directors of the 1950s through the 80s, and W.E. (Ted) Fancott, a prolific set designer and the architect who designed our theatre following the fire that destroyed the original building on King Edward Ave. in 1970.

Mitzi made her debut as a fairy in the 1952 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and soon took on major roles including Pipistrelle in Pipistrelle of Venice (1957, winner of the National Playwriting Competition), Minnie Fay in The Matchmaker (1959), Anne in The Diary of Anne Frank (1960), the Deaf-Mute in The Madwoman of Chaillot (1977), Audrey Strange in Towards Zero (1978), and Anne Bronte in Glasstown(1980). She was also a dancer creating the choreography for nine plays including The Red Shoes (1975) and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1978). Mitzi pursued a professional career and was a member of Equity when she returned to play Kate Parr in Royal Gambit 1995), her final OLT performance.

When the OLT Archive Committee was formed prior to the 100thseason, Mitzi was an invaluable member, meeting weekly to sort and catalogue dozens of boxes of material from which she created the exhibit on the National One-Act Playwriting Competition. The weekly cataloguing meetings continued long past the 100th season right up until the pandemic. Then Mitzi became one of the adjudicators for the ongoing Playwriting Competition until this year. The OLT sends deepest condolences to Mitzi’s family.

Mitzi Hauer is pictured below in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Matchmaker, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Madwoman of Chaillot, Towards Zero, Glasstown and Royal Gambit.


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To read Mitzi’s official obituary, please click here.
 

Thank you to former Board Members, Victoria Steele and Michael Namer, as well Jane Morris, member of Ottawa Little Theatre, for their contributions in creating this piece.