Photo of Mariam Tirani

Mariam Tirani

Current Contributor

Mariam Tirani (she/her) is a Queen’s University Life Sciences student and a current theatre critic for the Kingston Theatre Alliance. Her love for the arts has led her to explore the world of theatre. Having seen a handful of theatre productions throughout her school years, she has become keen on exploring and becoming more involved in the theatre community in Kingston. In her spare time, she can be found reading, playing the violin, and watching nostalgic 2000s movies.

Articles by Mariam

Headshot of Julia Gehring. She smiles in front of a red background.

In the Queen’s Theatre Circle: Julia Gehring on Creating and Teamwork

  • Artist
  • DAN Major
  • Interview

When theatre majors at Queen’s University band together, they create more than a production; they form a community. This year’s Fall Major is Caucasian Chalk Circle, a play that explores justice, social inequality, motherhood, and connection. As assistant director for the show and third-year concurrent education student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in drama and art history at Queen’s University, Julia Gehring plays a key role in bringing the production […]

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Poster for Dan Studio Series' 2025 fall term production, 'Daydream'.

Four Out of Five Audience Members Recommend DSS Daydream

  • DAN Studio Series
  • Review

It might seem impossible to bottle laughter, but if there ever was a place you could do that, it would be at the Baby Grand Theatre during this year’s production of DSS Daydream. Forming a comedy special is no easy feat, but thanks to the stacks of hilarious Queen’s students script submissions, Dan Studio Series co-producers Connor Houghton and Halli Hood had no problem crafting a production of pure lively […]

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A man with grey hair smiling, wearing a shirt with the Ukrainian flag that says "Free Ukraine"

Dmitry Zhukovsky: A Chekhovian Conversation

  • Interview
  • Theatre Kingston

When Dmitry Zhukovsky was a teenager, he stumbled into a small community show and fell in love with the expressive storytelling nature of theatre. He has devoted his life to it ever since. A long-time appreciator and admirer of the famous dramatist Anton Chekhov’s work, Zhukovsky will be directing I Take Your Hand in Mine by Carol Racamora as a part of the Chekhov Collective during the 2025/2026 Theatre Kingston […]

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Racing to the Point to See ‘Never Swim Alone’

  • HouseOnFire
  • Review

Content warning: ‘Never Swim Alone’ contains depictions of violence. While these topics are not discussed in depth in this review, they are prominent topics in the performance.

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Martin Fobert: Domino Through and Through

  • Domino Theatre
  • Interview

Martin Fobert is thrilled to be embarking on his third return to the theatre. A Kingston local, he has appeared in many Domino Theatre productions and is now starring as Leonard Vole in Domino’s gripping production of Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. How did you first get involved in theatre? I was always fascinated with acting, ever since I was […]

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Headshot of Jung-Ah Kim. There is a staircase in the background and the photo is portrait-wise.

Jung-Ah Kim: Emerging from the Tett

  • Artist
  • Interview
  • Tett Centre

If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve already heard of the Tett Centre. But did you know that for each season of the year, an emerging Kingston artist joins the Tett Centre community and gets to create art in the building’s very own studio space? Program and Communications Coordinator Jung-Ah Kim shares what makes the Tett Centre Artist Residency program so special for both the artists and the community in […]

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The Kingston Writers Behind the Fest

  • Festival
  • Interview
  • Writersfest

The 17th edition of Kingston WritersFest (KWF) is about to kick off! From free events like Literary Trivia Night to the Writers Studio masterclasses, KWF 2025 has something for everyone. We sat down with local authors Ying Lee, Merilyn Simonds, and Jamal Saeed to learn a bit more about some of the names behind this year’s fest. Ying Lee: Creativity and Crafting Worlds by Mariam Tirani Ying Lee has published […]

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Headshot of Michelle McNichol.

Michelle McNichol: Seven Questions for ‘7 Stories’

  • Artist
  • Domino Theatre

Content warning: This interview discusses the topic of suicide.

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Erin Kennedy: Where Wires Meet Wilderness

  • Festival
  • Interview
  • Kick & Push Festival

From the depths of kelp forests to the red soil at the Mars Desert Research Station, Erin Kennedy’s robots have tackled some of the toughest terrains out there. This robot inventor and analogue astronaut has designed robots that can be worn, pick up trash, collect sea urchins, and even conduct research in space. Now, Kennedy is bringing her newest robot, a motion-sensing butterfly, to the Tett Centre for her special […]

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Making ‘Life More Sweet’ in Kingston

  • Festival
  • Kick & Push Festival
  • Review
  • TK Fringe

With soft, calming classical music drifting through the venue, your eyes are drawn to a single tent pitched at the center of the stage. At first, nothing happens, then a single sock pokes out from the slightly opened zipper. Then another sock pops out, tied to the first, followed by a folded lawn chair. Suddenly a tennis ball flies out of the tent, then a crumpled newspaper right after it, […]

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Poster for '48 North: A New Musical' in TK Fringe. Poster includes the location, some dates and times, title, TK Fringe logo, The Kick & Push logo, box office phone number and web page, and the composer/lyricist and playwright credit about the show.

‘48 North: A New Musical’: Friendship, Farewells, and Moving Forward

  • Kick & Push Festival
  • Review
  • TK Fringe

Set in an unnamed Canadian location, this musical follows a group of four friends spending their final two days together at a cottage in the woods before leaving their Northern hometown for universities across the globe to pursue their different passions. Each is chasing a different dream, and the story blends hope, nostalgia, humour, and the inevitable bittersweet feeling of growing up. What makes Jack Oliver Kotanen (composer/lyricist) and Katelyn […]

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Shakespeare, Shakespeare, Wherefore Art Thou, Shakespeare? 

  • Kick & Push Festival
  • Review
  • TK Fringe

Three venues, all alike in dignity, in fair Kingston where TK Fringe lays many scenes. More specifically for Dana Schindel, it’s in the Davies lounge where she lays the scene for her show, Shakespeare: Say It! This delightfully creative show turns Romeo and Juliet into an interactive story, inviting the audience to step into the iconic roles themselves. Armed with character cards and visual cues, you’re not just watching the […]

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