Haley Sarfeld — Kingston Theatre Alliance

Since my first dreary days as an ArtSci frosh, getting stuck in a crowd of Queen’s students has been a surefire way to bring out my inner Wednesday Addams. As I stood in the Rotunda Theatre’s packed lobby on Thursday evening, noisy whirls of preview-night chatter ricocheting in my ears, I felt a distinct urge to crawl deeper into my own skin. When I realized my arms were crossed and […]

Audiences are wondering if all the world’s a billboard as the latest trend in corporate sponsorship emerges in Kingston’s theatre scene. Previously known as Domino Theatre, the new Domino’s Pizza Theatre will soon follow the lead of Slush Puppie Place (formerly Leon’s Centre) in accepting commercial dough.  Rising costs of venue upkeep and drastic cuts to arts funding have been cited as motivators for more local organizations to turn to […]

You know how the story goes: boy meets girl, girl meets Satan, Satan tempts girl, girl eats fruit, boy eats fruit, humankind becomes doomed, and for some reason it’s all girl’s fault. Or something like that. Adam and Eve’s fall from innocence has been told and retold across millennia. Perhaps the best-known English-language version (and certainly the one most often assigned to university students) is John Milton’s 1667 epic poem, […]

What comes to mind when you think of audience participation? No, for real, tell me.  Don’t want to? Okay, I’ll go first. When I think of participation, the little sing-song voice in my head starts humming Al Simmons’ “Don’t Make Me Sing Along”. This tune was rattling around in my mind when I met with theatre scholars Dr. Jenn Stephenson and Mariah (Mo) Horner to talk about their research project, […]

In the afterglow of Valentine’s Day, Bottle Tree Productions presents a potent potion for theatre lovers: The Witch and The Glitch. With a bubbly cast, spellbinding physical comedy, and lighthearted songs, The Witch and The Glitch provides a much-needed remedy to the doldrums of winter. This musical fable for grown-ups features a book and lyrics by Gord Love, who directs the show, and music by Michael Capon, who serves as […]

When I learned that Darrell Christie was starting a new ensemble, I was intrigued, and I was doubly intrigued when I saw Matthew Shepard’s name in the season announcement. After nearly a decade away from choral singing, something about this confluence of elements—a former Cultural Studies classmate starting a new project and an iconic name in queer history appearing as the subject matter—nudged me to return to the choir kid life. 

After a dreamy debut last fall, Queens Theatre Troupe (QTT) has announced their sophomore play: The Anger in Ernest and Ernestine.  Founded in spring 2023 by a group of five Queen’s students, the education-focused club is dedicated to creating space for exploration through ambitious productions of published plays. Amidst a busy rehearsal schedule, Ernest director and QTT board member Victoria J Marmulak was gracious enough to make time for a […]

When you’re kind of a haunted person, it can be hard to talk about your life. Overshoot on the levity, and you’re too glib. Undershoot, and you’re morose. Most of us don’t have the skill to fine-tune our honesty into storytelling that is both playful and heartrending.  Luckily for his audience, James Smith does a damn near perfect job.  Lessons in Temperament is a one-man show written and performed by […]

Jim Garrard calls himself a tyrant, but this season, he’s softening his grip. After announcing his ‘sort of’ retirement in 2015, the playwright, actor, and director has remained a presence in Kingston’s theatre scene, most recently in his TK Fringe performances of Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape. This winter, Garrard directs Bakersfield Mist by Stephen Sachs for Theatre Kingston, starring Rosemary Doyle and Cassel Miles.  Inspired by true events, Bakersfield […]

If nobody has asked you to The Prom yet, take this as a sign to find a date. Mixing teen movie aesthetics, Broadway sensibilities, and contemporary social values, Queen’s Musical Theatre presents a high-energy production in the Rotunda Theatre this winter.  Directed by Noah Solomon, The Prom’s spotlight falls on Emma Nolan (Nicole Martin), a teenager in Edgewater, Indiana. Emma has been banned from bringing her girlfriend to the high […]

In the first week of January, while many of us were still crawling out of our holiday haze, Sophia Fabiilli was hard at work developing her latest play: Why It’s Impossible To Raise A Girl. Fabiilli spent a week at the Thousand Islands Playhouse (TIP)’s rehearsal hall, turning the existing script on its head with thoughtful input from actor Zoë Sweet and director Evalyn Parry. Toward the end of the […]

Wilding is one of those hard-working, energetic people who seems to be everywhere, supporting everybody, at any given moment. When we first met last spring, I was immediately impressed with their quick thinking and cheerful, quippy demeanour. It came as no surprise that Wilding’s art form of choice—when they’re not busy making things happen behind the scenes—is improv comedy.  With both of us juggling a million obligations—this week alone, Wilding […]