Domino Theatre’s Come Play By The Lake Festival Charts Familiar Waters
From Kingston originals to community classics, Domino Theatre’s Come Play by The Lake One-Act Festival is a reliable wellspring of satisfying theatre. The festival opened July 3rd with presentations of three Kingston original plays: Rulers Book by Gord Love, Ethically Sourced Chocolate in the Post Extinction Era by B.C. Gorrie, N. Neokleous, and Maleeka Thaker, and A Quarter Hour with Arsene Lupin Maurice Leblanc translated and adapted by Matthew Kane. The festival competition was hosted with an emphasis on scriptwriting, and Ethically Sourced Chocolate in a Post Extinction Era took home the prize of best original play. The second night of the festival revealed Rulers Book as the winner of Best Production as well as Audience Choice, and the ensemble will move on to represent Domino Theatre in the 2026 Eastern Ontario Drama League (EODL) One Act Play Festival.
I was fortunate enough to visit the festival on its second night, which consisted of works described by Festival Director Michelle McNichol as “past pleasers.” These plays have been in the local theatre sphere for some time, and returned July 4th for a seasonal refresh. It is clear why these shows have gained local favor—fun, heartfelt, and comforting, these shows achieve a sense of sweet entertainment.
Check Please by Jonathan Rand follows two aspiring romantics, Guy (Andrew Fillion) and Girl (Amanda Warner), as they go on a series of increasingly bizarre blind dinner dates. A clear cut satire on the dregs of modern dating, the play makes a clever spoof of the perseverance required to find your person. Under the direction of Peter Yerdon, this prognostic script felt similar in tone and delivery to that of sketch comedy. Each date takes its turn in a series of vignettes, switching between Guy’s and Girl’s perspectives. I felt this production could have worked on its pacing, as transitions between scenes slowed down the process and slackened the comedic momentum. As the script follows such a clear formula, breaking the cycle of dates could have been more striking if better timed. The actors portraying the dates take on many roles and are creatively distinct in each one. Jordan Ross is a particularly versatile actor, stretching from kleptomaniac to pantomime—for a character who never orders anything, she sure has a lot on her plate.
The Death of Me by Norm Foster is the scrooge tale of the anti-scrooge John (Martin Fobert) following his unexpectedly early death. In his first meeting with the Angel of Death (Julia Moore), he manages to swing himself a second chance at life on the condition that he “make a wave.” Foster is a bucketful of local talent here in Kingston: this heartfelt script is well balanced between genuineness and comedy. The performances uphold this poise: Moore is wickedly funny as the Angel of Death, handling the quick-witted dark humour with ease. A noteworthy performance of the night, she harnessed a characteristic brazenness that earned a laugh with every line. Jennifer Verardi does a graceful job of sympathizing with the wacky character of Cassie, never making a mockery of her struggles nor her eccentricities. Due to time constraints on set dress ups and take downs, the set uses spacing and lighting (Anne Marie Mortensen) to differentiate between settings, placing each scene in a new section of the stage. They have to cover a lot of ground—all the way from heaven to the DMV. This caused some scenes to feel stuck in their designated corner of the stage. Director William Morrow could have made use of the space more effectively. Hal Potter’s take on the self proclaimed hot shot doctor takes the most advantage of the section he was granted, a choice well suited to his commanding presence. The doctor’s lunch break setting is also conveniently staged in the centre, which I feel would have been better reserved for the scene between Cassie and John, as it suitably delivers the play’s essential themes of the brevity of life and the virtue of grace.
Loser Lunch by Penny Barker tells the story of the last three dedicated employees—Dell Rowan (Andrew Prior), Jody Edge (Bell Rodgers), and Lee Quigley (Wendy Hay)—left behind at Kendall Distributing after all their colleagues quit due to a winning lottery ticket that excluded the three. This production is delicately staged, with a simplistic set that opens the whole space to be used by actors’ choice rather than aesthetic material. Co-directors and mother-daughter duo Penny and Heather Barker deliver the story in dynamic blocking. Well suited for a festival line-up, the entirety of Loser Lunch takes place in one setting, allowing the actors to relax into the scene and move freely within the space. Each “loser” eventually wins your heart, but Hay as Lee Quigley has a firm grip on the emotional stakes of the play. From relatable subject matter to sympathetic characters, this show is a soft success.
All of these productions are safe within the hands of an efficient crew: Richard Jodoin, Ian McGrath-Santowski, Doug McNichol, Linda Hamstra, and Sharon Sommier-Mulligan run a tight ship. Festivals such as these need many hands to make light work, especially with the time restrictions on set dressing. Designated judges Jen Buder, Rachel Marks, and Liz Schell combine with an audience vote, making for a very honest system of winnings. My congratulations extend from the winners to the co-ordinators as the Come Play by the Lake One-Act Festival lands another triumphant showcase in the books.
The 2026 Come Play By The Lake Festival ran from July 3-4, 2026. More information can be found here.
