Review — Kingston Theatre Alliance

The sweeping spectacle returns! Birdbone Theatre’s Broom Dance was reviewed last year by Haley Sarfeld and has made its way back to the stage after further workshopping and the incorporation of a new collaborator. As beautifully crafted shadow puppetry, the play follows a few different storylines that explore Slavic, Italian, and Polish folklore. Curated by Aleksandra Bragoszewska, Alison Gowan, and Ekaterina with compositions by Gowan and Ekaterina, Broom Dance bewitches […]

In the afterglow of Valentine’s Day, Bottle Tree Productions presents a potent potion for theatre lovers: The Witch and The Glitch. With a bubbly cast, spellbinding physical comedy, and lighthearted songs, The Witch and The Glitch provides a much-needed remedy to the doldrums of winter. This musical fable for grown-ups features a book and lyrics by Gord Love, who directs the show, and music by Michael Capon, who serves as […]

Incredible. 

Considering Matthew Shepard by Craig Hella Johnson, for all its complexity, can simply be described as a masterpiece. Performed by The Isabel Voices, the three-part oratorio is an astounding feat. 

As I’ve sat down to write this review, I’ve been struggling with where to start. I’m fervent about giving this performance the praise it deserves yet the intricacies of an oratorio and the accompanying musical vernacular feel unfamiliar to me. However, the story on which Considering Matthew Shepard is based is one the Kingston Theatre Alliance, and myself, feel passionate towards reviewing.

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.

From the moment I walked in the room, my heart started doing little flips. Everything is pink. Pink chairs, pink table, pink carpet, pink coat rack, the list goes on.  Within the walls of Theological Hall’s Room 106, Queens Theatre Troupe (QTT) has set the stage for their second-ever production: The Anger in Ernest and Ernestine by Robert Morgan, Leah Cherniak, and Martha Ross, and directed by Victoria J Marmulak.  […]

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 […]

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 […]

When you’re kind of a haunted person, it can be hard to talk about your life. Overshoot on the levity, and you’re too glib. Undershoot, and you’re morose. Most of us don’t have the skill to fine-tune our honesty into storytelling that is both playful and heartrending.  Luckily for his audience, James Smith does a damn near perfect job.  Lessons in Temperament is a one-man show written and performed by […]

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 […]

If nobody has asked you to The Prom yet, take this as a sign to find a date. Mixing teen movie aesthetics, Broadway sensibilities, and contemporary social values, Queen’s Musical Theatre presents a high-energy production in the Rotunda Theatre this winter.  Directed by Noah Solomon, The Prom’s spotlight falls on Emma Nolan (Nicole Martin), a teenager in Edgewater, Indiana. Emma has been banned from bringing her girlfriend to the high […]

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 […]

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 […]