Photo of Stefan D'Ippolito

Stefan D'Ippolito

Past Contributor

Stefan is a dynamic writer for the theatre critic blog, balancing a Major in Computer Science and a minor in Film and Media Studies. He is passionate about the arts and technology and how one can use both mediums to display creative narratives that captivate audiences. He has joined the blog this summer and is excited to see what Kingston performing arts has to offer.

Articles by Stefan

Poster for Domino Theatre's production of 'Ten Lost Years'. The title, playwrights, director, and presenting company are noted.

From the Canadian Perspective: ‘Ten Lost Years’

  • Domino Theatre
  • Review

“I’ve seen tears in men’s eyes… It was a very emotional time when a man came in and went up to the counter.”  -Relief worker in Barry Broadfoot’s Ten Lost Years: 1929-1939. Ten Lost Years is a play based on the 1973 book of the same name by Barry Broadfoot playing at Domino Theatre this spring. Written by Cedric Smith, George Luscombe, and Jack Winter, and directed by Martha Bailey, […]

Read More About From the Canadian Perspective: ‘Ten Lost Years’
Animated purple curtain with the words: "The creativity dilemma. Exploring the divide between higher and lower budget productions."

The Creativity Dilemma

  • Kingston Theatre Alliance
  • News
  • Opinion

Last summer I booked a trip to New York City as I hadn’t visited since I was very young. I was extremely excited as I really wanted to see a Broadway musical for the first time. As I hopped online looking for shows to see, I remember thinking, “Back to the Future the Musical… Why?” I have no hate for the idea—it could be an amazing musical—I was just surprised at the idea of a Back To The Future musical and it having a spot on Broadway. I continued searching and found that around half of the musicals on Broadway at the time were either remakes of hit movies or revivals of older shows. At first, I was surprised but after further thought, it made sense. I recently looked at Broadway.com’s list of current best-selling Broadway shows and saw that four out of the top ten shows on Broadway right now are direct adaptations of former hit movies, while five out of ten of the shows are connected to an already existing popular product or a revival of an old show.

Read More About The Creativity Dilemma
Partial image of St. Lawrence College's poster for their production of 'Nine'. Nine yellow blocks are pictured with a shadowy image of a person inside. A white block contains the title in large black letters.

Desires and Desperation: ‘Nine’

  • Review
  • St. Lawrence College

Nine is a famous Broadway musical brought to life by the students of St. Lawrence College’s Music Theatre – Performance program. It played at the Thousand Islands Playhouse this past weekend and was directed by Alexandra Herzog. With music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and book by Arthur Kopit, the story based on the 1963 film 8½  follows Italian Film Director Guido Contini (Felipe De Brito) as he tries to […]

Read More About Desires and Desperation: ‘Nine’
Poster for Domino Theatre's production of 'As You Like It'. Poster includes the title, playwright, director, location, dates, times, ticket information, and supporters. The background is a dark forest.

‘As You Like It’ is in Action at Domino Theatre

  • Domino Theatre
  • Review

Set forth on a journey through the Forest of Arden where love and laughter intersect to create a fascinatingly funny story. As You Like It is written by the brilliant William Shakespeare and Domino Theatre’s production of the show, directed by Peter Aston, is now playing. Personally, I am not a big Shakespeare theatre-goer. I read a few of the plays in high school and saw some live performances, but […]

Read More About ‘As You Like It’ is in Action at Domino Theatre
Two gold wings. Between them is a gold apple.

Traversing through Heaven and Hell: ‘Paradise Lost’

  • Queen's University
  • Review

“The biggest mistake any of us could make would be to underestimate Satan.” –Paradise Lost Paradise Lost is an interesting and unique retelling of the story of Adam and Eve, and the first battle between good and evil. By Playwright Erin Shields and directed by Evalyn Parry, the play is loosely based on John Milton’s poem of the same name. Paradise Lost flips everything we were taught about the story […]

Read More About Traversing through Heaven and Hell: ‘Paradise Lost’
Poster for Theatre Kingston's production of 'Bakersfield Mist'. An RV appears behind a fence. The title, director, cast, company, playwright, dates, times, and location of the show are on the poster.

Comedy That Keeps You Guessing: ‘Bakersfield Mist’

  • Review
  • Theatre Kingston

What is art? On Wednesday, February 7th, I headed on down to the Baby Grand Theatre to catch Theatre Kingston’s production of Bakersfield Mist, written by Stephen Sachs and directed by Jim Garrard. The play follows a 50-something unemployed but previously a bartender, Maude (Rosemary Doyle), as she tries to get her presumed Jackson Pollock painting authenticated—if she succeeds, it can be worth millions.

Read More About Comedy That Keeps You Guessing: ‘Bakersfield Mist’
Poster for Improv Kingston's 'First Friday Show'. The company, title, date, time, location, and ticket price are noted.

A Place Where Anything Goes

  • Improv Kingston
  • Review

Think of the world’s worst improviser. These folks are far from that, but they can probably act as an amazing awful improvisor. Last Friday night I attended Improv Kingston‘s monthly show at the Tett Centre. Comedians Chris Jackson, Derrick Schoen, Lucie Girard, Jaime Maitland, and Patrick Ireton are there to entertain, led by their teacher Dan Walmsely. The gist of the show is simple—they play a multitude of improv games […]

Read More About A Place Where Anything Goes
Poster for 'Middle Raged Sketch Comedy'.

Middle-aged? More like Middle Raged

  • Grand ONStage
  • Review

You’re in your 40s, have three kids, a house, and a stable job. Life is good… Right? Well, maybe not!  Geri Hall and Gary Pearson put on a show, hilariously performing a multitude of sketches focusing on the madness of a middle-aged relationship in Middle Raged. Performed in Kingston for one night only, it appeared at the Grand Theatre on January 26th to an almost sold-out crowd. The duo tackles […]

Read More About Middle-aged? More like Middle Raged
Poster for Domino Theatre's production of 'A Trip to Bountiful'. The title, playwright, director, and company are noted. The background is a large house on green grass against a blue sky.

Heading Home? ‘The Trip to Bountiful

  • Domino Theatre
  • Review

Embark on an emotional journey where a sense of adventure and nostalgia resonate throughout. On Thursday, January 18th, I caught opening night of Domino Theatre’s production of The Trip to Bountiful, written by Horton Foote and directed by Rachael McDonald, and was pleasantly surprised. The heartwarming play is a story of longing for home and follows the elderly Carrie Watts (Sandie Cond) as she runs away from her Houston apartment […]

Read More About Heading Home? ‘The Trip to Bountiful
A man in a tuxedo leans over a red table with his arms spread wide.

Putting You in the Christmas Spirit(s): John D. Huston’s ‘A Christmas Carol’

  • Review
  • Theatre Kingston

A timeless story that captures the magic of Christmas in a captivating and uniquely compelling manner. On Sunday, December 17th, I had the pleasure of attending John D. Huston’s A Christmas Carol, presented by Theatre Kingston, to help me get into the Christmas season. Before arriving at the Tett Centre, I had a vague understanding of the classic story created by the brilliant Charles Dickens. I watched the movie as […]

Read More About Putting You in the Christmas Spirit(s): John D. Huston’s ‘A Christmas Carol’
Performers in Domino Theatre's production of 'A Christmas Story'. Four children are seen standing watching an interaction where one child is pin to the ground and another child kneels overtop of them.

Unwrapping Warmth and Laughter, ‘A Christmas Story’

  • Domino Theatre
  • Review

Imagine going on a trip in the middle of the swamps and getting attacked by a giant snake. Now that would be the perfect time to have a Red Ryder BB gun. A Christmas Story began its run at Domino Theatre on Thursday, November 30th. Adapted by Philip Grecian and directed by Dale Jones, the play follows nine-year-old Ralphie (Blythe Hallford) who dreams about getting the treasured Red Ryder BB […]

Read More About Unwrapping Warmth and Laughter, ‘A Christmas Story’
Wilding Amy and Tony Babcock each wear a vest and tie; one has a silver pot on their head and the other has spaghetti on theirs.

Laughing and Wanting More: ‘All-Inclusive Comedy’

  • All-Inclusive Comedy
  • Review

A show so hilarious and chaotic, my mouth was left sore from smiling too much. This past Friday night, I made my way over to catch All-Inclusive Comedy, an improv performance by Wilding and Tony Babcock. Wilding and Tony’s enthusiasm is infectious. From the moment they are onstage, they draw all attention. I am referring to them by their first names because as the show progressed, I saw them more […]

Read More About Laughing and Wanting More: ‘All-Inclusive Comedy’