Review — Kingston Theatre Alliance

On the final evening of PXR2026 Conference, people gathered into a Virtual Reality (VR) world where rolling hills were lit by moonlight. We made our way over to sit on a hillside that sloped toward a pond, where a projection screen glowed from across the water.  Throughout the festival, VR had revealed itself not as an escape hatch but as a medium of attunement. Participants shrank to two inches tall, […]

From the moment I stepped into the Grand Theatre on Saturday evening for the Slaight Music Video Showcase—a treasured part of the Kingston Canadian Film Festival—the space was bursting with energy: jam-packed with festival attendees and creatives alike, all eager to see the hard work of local musicians, production companies, and volunteers on the screen of the Grand Theatre.  Venturing into the lobby, the space was overflowing with well-dressed attendees […]

The following review details two shows as part of PXR2026 Conference. Uncanny Alley: A New Day VR asks for a layered kind of courage. I had assumed the hardest part would be the technical unfamiliarity, but the real bravery comes when you step from your quiet room into a space full of life. This creates the opportunity to arrive exactly as you are in that moment, stepping forward with genuine […]

Presence acts as the sustaining heartbeat to live theatre. In our lifetime, where the digital age brings distancing and screen barriers, I think we are all contemplating the multidimensional angles of presence. It’s easy to refer to it on the surface layer—‘just show up’—but as our experience of ‘just showing up’ becomes increasingly challenging, the need for presence becomes increasingly desperate. As someone who often feels apprehensive about the weight […]

A new drama by Chloë Whitehorn, Admit Two is a one act play presented by Bottle Tree Productions that uncovers the dark, hidden secrets behind a touring circus. Upon the beginning of the show, audiences meet Dante (Craig Norton), a knife thrower for the circus who has recently been released from prison, only to find that he has been replaced by a young and feisty aerialist, Glimmer (Syd Chinnick). He sees that Glimmer has been taken under the wing of Mama Rhea (Rosemary Euringer), a maternal figure whose partner, King, runs the circus. Refamiliarizing himself with his old home, Dante encounters his old flame and clairvoyant, Persephone (Shannon Donnelly). Her harsh demeanor towards him and the others drives the story along as the cast uncovers long-held secrets and attempts to fix the many things that are broken. 

In the quiet darkness of a theatre before the stage lights go on, the squeaky wheels of an IV pole are our first introduction to Dr. Vivian Bearing. “It’s not my intention to give away the plot,” she tells the audience in an opening monologue that immediately breaks the fourth wall, “but I think I die at the end.”  W;t, written by Margaret Edson and directed by Martha Bailey, is […]

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a theatregoer in possession of holiday spirit must be in want of a show—and Domino Theatre’s production of Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, directed by Craig Norton,is a perfect answer to that want.  Taking place a few years following the events of Pride and Prejudice, the happily married Lizzy (Madeleine Smith) and Mr. Darcy (William Anderson) prepare to welcome the Bennet sisters and […]

Have you ever read a book and wished you could change a character’s fate? My first introduction to Shakespeare was struggling to decipher Romeo and Juliet on my own, without the help of SparkNotes (mostly because I didn’t know it existed), and for years afterward, whenever I thought about the play, I caught myself wishing I could change the characters’ endings. But what if that’s actually possible? Goodnight Desdemona (Good […]

Welcome back to the Script Suggestion Series, where I take the opportunity to abuse my privilege as a theatre critic by getting paid to read and discuss plays from my very own bookshelf. This past summer I read Robert Icke’s Oedipus and was absolutely taken by the powerful adaptation. With that production just about to open on Broadway at the time of writing this article, I’ve been craving some more […]

Set in the bustling heart of New York City’s Times Square, Guys and Dolls opens with rumours of an underground crap game that Nathan Detroit (Jason McDonald) is desperately trying to organize. With the authorities trying to shut down the illegal gambling and no money to secure a venue, Nathan makes a bet he’s guaranteed to win with the always-lucky gambler Sky Masterson (Donald Mitchell). If Sky can convince the […]

The story begins in the city of Nuka, where war has suddenly erupted, leaving the townsfolk to flee. As danger gets closer, the ruling family prepares to flee, but it’s in this scene that we see their true colours. The governor (Daniel Gill) is too preoccupied with commenting on the weather to care for his family, while his wife, Natella (Charlize Diaz and Hayley Watson), opts to save her extravagant […]

Often described as the most legendary country music love story, Johnny Cash and June Carter’s music has remained a staple in the country genre. With joint hits like “Long Legged Guitar Pickin’ Man,” covers made iconic like “It Ain’t Me Babe” and “If I Were a Carpenter,” as well as their respective works, it is impossible to imagine what country music would look like without them. A final addition to […]