Kingston Theatre Alliance Archive

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
Logo for the Kingston Theatre Alliance.

Job Opening: Theatre Critic

  • Kingston Theatre Alliance

The Performance Blog is a primary resource for audience members, artistic collaboration, critical dialogue, and theatre practitioners. Our platform consolidates events, news, artists, and organizations in the Southeastern Ontario area in an accessible and accountable manner that the region has never seen before. Led by the Editor, the writing team is looking for passionate individuals who are committed to questioning who and what criticism is FOR, all while building a stronger sector for live performance in the region.

Read More About Job Opening: Theatre Critic
A large "k" appears on the left in green and purple. Next to it reads "Kingston Theatre Alliance"

Job Opening: Associate Artistic Producer

  • Kingston Theatre Alliance
  • Review

Job Description The Associate Artistic Producer acts as the second and primary collaborator to the Artistic Producer, and will collaborate on organization administration, scheduling and operations, document and/or policy refinement / creation, grant writing, strategic planning, human resources as well as proposing initiatives that develop both organization and the regional theatre  sector. This is a contract leadership position with potential to shift to employee position in 2024. Key Relationships Responsibilities […]

Read More About Job Opening: Associate Artistic Producer
Two individuals hugging in nature. One is dressed in traditional Indigenous wear.

Experiencing the Cedar Island Residency

  • Festival
  • Indigenous Theatre
  • Kick & Push Festival
  • Kingston Theatre Alliance
  • Review

On Tuesday, August 15th I was invited to see the first viewing of the Cedar Island Residency performance taking place the following day. I was not told much about the performance, giving me a feeling of nervous excitement. This is the first performance I have ever attended where I did not have much information about it beforehand. The only thing I was told was to meet at the Kingston Marina […]

Read More About Experiencing the Cedar Island Residency
Performance of 'La Bulle'. Photo in black and white.

Bubbling with Magic: ‘La Bulle’

  • Festival
  • Kick & Push Festival
  • Kingston Theatre Alliance
  • Review

Feeling curious about seeing a mime roam the ins and outs of a giant translucent bubble? See La Bulle in Kingston this weekend.  La Bulle is a mime show produced by CORPUS Dance Projects and is being presented at the Kick & Push Festival by the Kingston Theatre Alliance and Le Centre Culturel Frontenac.  The show follows a lonely mime, Pierrot (David Danzon / Guy Marsan; the performer at the […]

Read More About Bubbling with Magic: ‘La Bulle’
Poster of 'One Night Only'. A man looking distressed and exhausted holds his arm in the air. Text reads: "duhdumduhdum productions presents ONE NIGHT ONLY WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY NICHOLAS EDDIE WRITTEN BY: NICHOLAS EDDIE DIRECTOR: SEPEHR REYBOD PRODUCER: NICHOLAS EDDIE ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: ADRIAN CHEVALIER"

‘One Night Only’ is One Not to Forget

  • Festival
  • Fringe
  • Kingston Theatre Alliance
  • Review
  • Theatre Kingston

An experience I don’t think I will ever forget. One Night Only is a one man show written, produced, and performed by Nicholas Eddie, directed by Sepehr Reybod, and assistant producer is Adrian Chevalier. An audience follows Eddie throughout the night as he is faced with a challenge which can only be completed in the following morning.  This review has mentions of suicide. This show felt like an experience rather […]

Read More About ‘One Night Only’ is One Not to Forget
Poster for 'Krapp's Last Tape' A man is seen sitting on a couch with no pants on.

Brilliant Beckett: ‘Krapp’s Last Tape’

  • Festival
  • Fringe
  • Kingston Theatre Alliance
  • Review
  • Theatre Kingston

Krapp’s Last Tape is a one man show written by the legendary playwright Samuel Beckett and is being performed by Jim Garrard at the Baby Grand Theatre in Kingston. It’s a story about isolation, regret, and accepting one’s fate. Audiences follow Krapp, a 69 year old man as he listens to an audio recording of his 39 year old self.  Krapp is an elderly man who appears to be on […]

Read More About Brilliant Beckett: ‘Krapp’s Last Tape’
Poster for 'Creeping Murmur; Poring Dark". A creepy mansion is pictured. Text reads: "John D. Huston Creeping Murmur; Poring Dark "I nearly jumped out of my skin" CBC Winnipeg ****1/2"

Spirited Storytelling: ‘Creeping Murmur; Poring Dark’

  • Festival
  • Fringe
  • Kingston Theatre Alliance
  • Review
  • Theatre Kingston

A peculiar parlour game, a sauce salesman, a ghost ship, and a little girl behind a door. In Creeping Murmur; Poring Dark, John D. Huston transforms an unassuming hotel conference room into a site of spectral thrills. Though breakfast had barely settled in my stomach by the time I took my seat, I was immediately transported to a late-night world of chilling tales by Huston’s wry, lively storytelling.  Huston presents […]

Read More About Spirited Storytelling: ‘Creeping Murmur; Poring Dark’
Poster for 'Are You Catching What I'm Throwing?' An orange ball is seen against a dark backdrop.

Charming and Clever, ‘Are You Catching What I’m Throwing?’

  • Festival
  • Fringe
  • Kingston Theatre Alliance
  • Review
  • Theatre Kingston

Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong? Like you couldn’t find “your people”? Are You Catching What I’m Throwing is a one man Circus Theatre Show performed by William Alex Larson. The show follows a man as he discovers his passion for juggling. An audience follows him through the highs and lows of this passion and in the bigger picture, the highs and lows of being accepted by society. […]

Read More About Charming and Clever, ‘Are You Catching What I’m Throwing?’
Poster for 'The Fronge Festival' Texts reads: "the fronge festival August 3-13 Improvised plays from six Canadian Fringe Festivals tickets at kingstongrand.ca"

The Unforgettable Fronge Festival

  • Festival
  • Fringe
  • Kingston Theatre Alliance
  • Review
  • Theatre Kingston

No, it’s not a typo—The Fronge Festival is a festival within a festival at TK Fringe, and it’s one of the funniest shows I’ve seen in Kingston this year.  The concept is simple and absurd: at each performance, the audience is offered a list of Fringe shows from another Canadian city and gets to decide which ones the Fronge’s troupe of improvisers will ad lib. Director Kyle Warne performs alongside […]

Read More About The Unforgettable Fronge Festival
Poster for 'The ADHD Project'. A woman stands against a chalkboard in colourful clothing and the chalkboard is covered in drawings.

It’s a Superpower: ‘The ADHD Project’

  • Festival
  • Fringe
  • Kingston Theatre Alliance
  • Review
  • Theatre Kingston

Intimate and uplifting, The ADHD Project will captivate an audience as Comedian/Storyteller Carlyn Rhamey explores the ups and downs of living her life with ADHD. Through compelling storytelling, she recounts the moment she received her diagnosis, her challenges with bullying, and finally her acceptance of her newly embraced “superpower”.  Before the show starts, instead of waiting offstage, Rhamey talks to the audience. She cracks jokes and welcomes the audience. I began seeing […]

Read More About It’s a Superpower: ‘The ADHD Project’
Poster for 'RAPP BNGO'

Not Your Grandma’s Bingo Game: ‘RAPP BNGO’

  • Festival
  • Fringe
  • Kingston Theatre Alliance
  • Review
  • Theatre Kingston

There’s no “I” in RAPP BNGO. There are no prizes, no winners, and no losers. Instead, there’s DJ Seith and his record collection.  Get ready for the mildest party of your life.  RAPP BNGO takes hip hop and bingo and creates a mellow, stakes-free opportunity for people to hang out and listen to music. Each participant gets a bingo card full of words and phrases from rap lyrics (mine included […]

Read More About Not Your Grandma’s Bingo Game: ‘RAPP BNGO’