All Articles

Sisters, Sanity, and Sad History Collide in ‘Madness Lies’
- Kick & Push Festival
- Review
- TK Fringe
Madness Lies is Chloë Whitehorn’s contribution to this year’s TK Fringe Festival. Described as “Hamlet meets Girl, Interrupted,” the play follows the story of Lettie (Shannon Donnelly) and Leah (Jennifer Verardi), two sisters who find themselves in a psych ward after the death of their father. Judging by that description alone, I was not expecting the amount of levity and humour that Whitehorn’s script delivers. Darkness aside, the banter between […]

Dungeons Without Dragons in ‘Father, Forgive Me’
- Kick & Push Festival
- Review
- TK Fringe
There is just something so exciting about attending a show where the performer knows almost as little as you do about what will unfold in the next forty minutes. For it being my first time ever seeing an improv show and also my first time watching someone play Dungeons & Dragons, I was pleasantly surprised at how easily I could follow Father, Forgive Me from start to finish. The story […]

Tall Mark Does Not Come Up Short: ‘Eat It Anyway’
- Kick & Push Festival
- Review
- TK Fringe
The first ever Fringe Festival was established in 1947 by a bunch of artists who were not included in the Edinburgh International Festival, eventually earning its title because it was “on the fringes.” The Edinburgh Fringe festival ended up being a monumental hit and has grown to be the largest performing arts festival in the world; the concept has been adapted globally with literally hundreds of Fringe festivals popping up across […]

‘The Turing Test:’ A Pertinent Commentary on Technophobia
- Festival
- Review
- TK Fringe
Artificial Intelligence has long been a fictional harbinger of the apocalypse, but in recent years this dystopian trope has become all too real. The issue threatens millions of jobs, especially those of artists, so understandably the arts community is grappling with these concerns through their respective mediums. Now playing at the TK Fringe: Studio Reflection presents The Turing Test, translated by Yuriy Popov and Yana Menov from the Russian play […]

‘Oh Mother F#@%*!’ Brings Laughs and Feels to the Fringe
- Kick & Push Festival
- Review
- TK Fringe
Andrea Superstein, like many women before her, was told that becoming a mother would be the single best experience of her life. But when it felt hard, and when it didn’t feel magical all the time, she started to wonder if anyone else felt the same way. So, she went looking for answers. She interviewed other mothers, wrote songs, and turned those songs into an album. Now, that album has […]

‘Snow White’ and the One Overworked Dwarf
- County Stage
- Review
Snow White (Breanna Maloney) is excited to tell her story to new people by acting out the parts with her seven friends… but six of those friends failed to arrive today. It’s up to Snow White and Number 4 (Lindsey Middleton) to tell the story on behalf of the entire fairy tale’s cast of characters, including all seven dwarves, the evil queen, the huntsman, the prince, and many more! County […]

‘Merrily We Roll Along’ Is a Palpable Hit!
- Blue Canoe Productions
- Review
Merrily We Roll Along feels like opening a row of bottled memories. With each bottle opened, we travel further into the past, back to a time when people were more ambitious and more hopeful. The story progresses, not forwards, but backwards, revealing just how strong the bonds of love and friendship can be when nurtured, and how easily they can go awry when dreams take priority. When the musical (lyrics […]

Immersion & Interaction at Pop-Up Installations
- Festival
- Kick & Push Festival
- Review
Metamorphosing Spaces into Stories Today, clothing only lasts as long as the trend does, meaning it gets worn once, and then tossed into landfills. This normalization of fast-fashion is making modern day sustainability more important than ever. Fiber Artist Leisa Rich stitches together pieces of felt, sequins, glittery mesh, wigs, feathers, and even reusable Metro bags to create colorful, immersive, and diverse art experiences while keeping sustainability in mind. Rich’s […]

“The Best Plays Ask Questions”: Janet Kish on Playwriting
- Artist
- Interview
- Kick & Push Festival
- Pub Shed Productions
- TK Fringe
Janet Kish has worn many hats in Canadian theatre, including playwright, director, and educator. She spent years teaching high school drama, and her impact has echoed far beyond the classroom. Many of her former students have gone on to build careers in the arts, with Kish cheering them on. This year, one of her plays is being staged at the Baby Grand theatre as part of the upcoming TK Fringe […]

An Actor’s Train of Thought: Behind the Scenes of Providence
- Artist
- Kick & Push Festival
- News
Presenting a play outdoors on a piece of history during the summer is not your typical show, and it certainly does not come with your typical rehearsal process. This year, The Kick & Push Festival is presenting Eye of the Dawn Collective’s production of Providence by Craig Walker; a production which I have been fortunate enough to take a part in. It celebrates the 150th anniversary of the opening the […]

A Skirmish of Wits Makes a Visit to Kingston
- Festival
- Kick & Push Festival
- Review
- St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival
When I first arrived in Kingston in 2021, there was a severe lack of Shakespeare in the city, but over the past few years it has been refreshing to see numerous community and student groups bring some of his plays to life. The Domino Theatre with As You Like It, Two Rabbits One Hat with Macbeth, and Blue Canoe with Twelfth Night, to name a few. It is evident that […]

A Labour of Love: Andrea Superstein on Art and Motherhood
- Interview
- Kick & Push Festival
- TK Fringe
After first visiting Kingston on a grade five field trip, vocalist and 2025 JUNO nominee Andrea Superstein is returning, this time as a performer. She’s eager to be a part of a thriving theatre scene infused with energy and magic that happens over just ten days. As a part of the TK Fringe Festival, Superstein will perform Oh Mother F#@%*!, a show that explores the vulnerable highs and lows of […]