Kingston Theatre Alliance Archive

Poster for "Menno-Morphosis" A drawn figure is seen with butterfly wings against a blue background. Text reads: "MENNO-MORPHOSIS How to become a secular mennonite in 500 years or less. Written and performed by Sandra Banman Directed by Catherine Hume."

A Mesmerizing Memoir: ‘Menno-Morphosis’

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

So, you’re 50 years old and sobbing under a desk at work. Where do you go from here? If you’re Sandra Banman, you’ll crawl out and craft a beautiful memoir. Presented with gentle wit and a generous spirit, Menno-Morphosis is a one-woman show written and performed by Banman and directed by Catherine Hume. It takes a lot to grow up and out of a strict Mennonite family in Manitoba. Banman […]

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Poster for 'Here there be Monsters' A man in a striped jacket wears a top hat with grimacing face paint on. Text reads: "DOC WUTHERBLOOM HERE THERE BE MONSTERS"

There’s Magic in Store with ‘Here There Be Monsters’

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

Kingston’s underground world of goblins and ghouls is home to more monsters than usual this week. Descend into the Kingston Gaming Nexus, if you dare, and follow the eerie carnival noises through a maze of board games to the back of the basement store. Here, you’ll find an unusual sight: Eldritch Theatre has set up shop, and Doctor Pretorious Wuthergloom (Eric Woolfe) is prepared to entertain and educate the masses […]

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Poster for 'Outheis' A man is seen with a cloth in his mouth that has been wrapped behind his head Text reads: "OUTHEIS WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY GRIFFIN HEWITT JULY 25 -30, 2023 TALK IS FREE THEATRE"

No One’s Home? ‘Outheis’ on the Streets of Kingston

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

If you saw a man with a bandaged head carrying a CD player as he dashed down Princess Street this week, don’t worry—it was no one.  By no one, I mean it was Outheis. From Barrie, Ontario, Talk Is Free Theatre (TIFT) presents Outheis, a multi-site immersive theatre experience at the Kingston Grand Theatre. Conceived and directed by Griffin Hewitt, this show features captivating performances by Troy Adams, Taylor Garwood, […]

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Image of the Kick and Push's logo.

Thinking Outside the Panel: ‘Pandora in the Box’

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

The Kick & Push Festival opens on a hopeful note with Pandora in the Box at the Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning. Transforming the Tett’s Rehearsal Hall into a maze of giant comic panels, this immersive work by cartoonist Lorena Torres Loaiza revisits the story of Pandora from Greek mythology to explore the nature of hope. Through a blend of real-world and virtual spaces, Pandora in the Box follows […]

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Alex Boese rehearsing 'Birthmarks' Photo is in black and white.

Alex Boese and Michael Catlin Talk ‘Birthmarks’

  • Artist
  • Festival
  • Interview
  • Kick & Push Festival
  • Kingston Theatre Alliance
  • Theatre Kingston
  • TK Fringe

Recently, I had a chance to sit down with performer Alex Boese and director Michael Catlin to chat about their upcoming play Birthmarks, which will be playing at Kingston Fringe. The play was written by Canadian playwright Alexandria Haber and follows Alex’s character, Kate. Birthmarks follows Kate as she tries to get over a tragic loss in her life while also trying to reconcile the relationship with her mother whom […]

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Photo of Nam Nguyen.

Playwright & Lyricist Nam Nguyen Talks ‘CAEZUS’ and ‘A Perfect Bowl of Pho’

  • Artist
  • Interview
  • Kick & Push Festival
  • Kingston Theatre Alliance

On my first day in Toronto, I lugged my suitcase along Dundas and sat down at Oxtail Pho to chat with playwright and lyricist Nam Nguyen. Nguyen’s musical A Perfect Bowl of Pho (book and lyrics by Nguyen, music by Wilfred Moeschter) premiered at the Toronto Fringe Festival in 2022 and is coming to the Kick & Push Festival this August.  In the meantime, his new show CAEZUS (music by […]

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A large "k" appears on the left in green and purple. Next to it reads "Kingston Theatre Alliance"

Job Opening: Theatre Critic

  • Industry
  • Job Posting
  • Kingston Theatre Alliance
  • News

Job Description The Performance Blog is a primary resource for audience members, artistic collaboration, critical dialogue, and industry contacts. Our platform consolidates events, news, artists, and organizations in the Southeastern 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. Responsibilities Requirements Eligibility […]

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Red curtain across a stage.

What is the Point of Theatre Criticism?

  • Industry
  • Kingston Theatre Alliance
  • News

What is the Critic Looking For? What a loaded question! Let me ask you one. What makes great theatre? I’ll even tell you the answer.  Artists.  You want artists to be there. Artists, technicians, administrators, engineers, carpenters, bartenders, ushers, whatever their job title, you want these masters of their craft there. You want them in there doing what they love to do; making theatre happen. Ideally, you’ll find artists who […]

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A large "k" appears on the left in green and purple. Next to it reads "Kingston Theatre Alliance"

We’re Hiring!

  • Industry
  • Job Posting
  • Kingston Theatre Alliance
  • News

Job Description The KTA is looking to hire a Theatre Critic for the Performance Blog. The Theatre Critic is responsible for attending and reviewing 1-2 shows in the Kingston area per week. They will work very closely with the Editor of the Performance Blog to discuss articles, edits, and timelines.  Responsibilities Requirements Pay As an independent contractor, pay will come as a stipend of $550 per month with the expectation […]

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A large "k" appears on the left in green and purple. Next to it reads "Kingston Theatre Alliance"

Open Letter

  • Industry
  • Kingston Theatre Alliance
  • News

The KTA would like to release an open letter to discuss our goals for the performance blog.  The blog is a space for reviews, interviews, and opinion pieces surrounding the arts that we hope will engage with the community of Kingston. We strive to spark dialogue that can enrich theatre and provoke valuable conversation. Theatre is—and should be— constantly growing. It is a passion of ours to communicate about the […]

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A thin stream leads up to a small, wooden stage that has red curtains pulled across. There is one lawn chair on each side of the stream. A man sits in a wheelbarrow on one side of the stream smoking a pipe and playing a guitar. Trees surround the stage and one has two archery boards attached to it. At the bottom reads: ROBIN HOOD.

‘Robin Hood’ was more than just Fanciful Fun

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

I was nervous when I strolled through City Park and I saw a haphazard setup of black boxes and forest-themed shower curtains. But, the Lakeside Players production of Robin Hood charmed me from start to finish. The well-known fairytale format was both honoured and upended for a modern audience. The writing spoke to the entire crowd, appealing to even the youngest. It was somehow modern and poetic; delectable to the […]

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A green park bench in the outdoors. The purple ring surrounds with wording 'THE DUCK VARIATIONS' and 'The Duck Variations by David Mamet' also appears above the bench. Below the bench reads: 'The Duck Variations is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com'

Two Men on a Park Bench… David Mamet’s ‘The Duck Variations’

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

Who knew that ducks, friendship, and existentialism could coincide into a single theatre performance? These elements came together in a heartfelt conversation between two men in a recent performance of The Duck Variations. bEST Theatre Company’s The Duck Variations that played at the Grand Theatre as a part of the Kingston Fringe, produced by the Kick & Push Festival, was an existential and meandering conversation between two men on a […]

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