News & Reviews — Kingston Theatre Alliance

I’ve come to realize that while I have spent several summers and the last year here, I am clearly not (yet) a Kingstonian.  Why do I say this? Over the course of (length of show), I walked into an oral history of  old locations in the downtown core, superstitions of the citizens regarding ghosts, and odd decoration choices like the carpets at The Toucan, and realized how unaware I was […]

Land acknowledgements have become too ritualistic, like eating three meals a day or having sex with your wife. I fall somewhere between the first and second generations on this land, and flat on the understanding that this land was not meant for me. The prosperity of my family follows the promised immigrant livelihood of playing by the rules, of keeping your head down and your foot forward. My acceptance into […]

On a Saturday morning, I was handed a chair. By the afternoon, I was sitting on the floor. Every audience member arrives with something different, and Clayton Lee and Michael Rubenfeld are asking for it. Ways of Being, the last addition to this summer’s Kick & Push Festival, is a performance project in-progress “made in the moment, with whoever is in attendance.” Two artists, two time zones, two audiences—how lucky […]

WARNING: This review contains spoilers, but you can play Mosher Island first here. From the ancient events of Olympia and its outstanding legacy, to every bustling grade school recess, to the unfathomably powerful computers in everyone’s pockets these days, it’s always been apparent that humans simply adore games.  Admit it! You absolutely DO got games on your phone (See meme to the right). Theatre’s strength as an artistic medium is […]

Tucked behind a local farm house is a cleared out field with a massive canopy style tent and rustic wooden stage where Chase the Ace joins Festival Players’ return this summer. Enjoy the Eddie Hotel and Farm’s selection of local wine and cheese as radio personality Charlie King takes a producing job in the small town of Port Bellete after losing it all to a mistaken drunken stupor. Written and […]

For the first time in a while, I was able to understand what it means to be in the present. On August 20th, I received a special invitation from the Kick & Push Festival to attend an award ceremony in a concrete gazebo standing in the middle of the beautiful Cedar Island, with large trees and hills joining the party.

To live through life, to fall in love, and to experience change, we build ourselves up hoping for the best as we navigate our growing relationship with the world around us. But for better or worse, nothing truly works out the way we intended, and we are forced to learn as a result. Our emotions can get the better of us and we are left feeling speechless with the cruelty […]

Somewhere in the vast Prince Edward County (located west of Kingston and spanning roughly 1,050 square kilometres), a tented proscenium theatre stands before sprawling fields and a signature red barn. In addition to offering a decadent cheeseboard or glass of vino from one of the county’s many wineries, this space also recently offered a contemporary dance festival, and with no less flavour. Performed at The Eddie Hotel and Farm’s BMO […]

Roll Models succeeds on its charisma saving throw! Roll Models developed by The ArtFolk Collective, partnered with The Kick & Push Festival, is a new theatrical work focused on bringing the fantastical world of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) to the stage. The improvisational story takes a new shape every night as the Dungeon Master (DM) Tyler Check begins the show by asking an audience member about a recent adventure they […]

Hear ye, hear ye! Calling all medieval tale lovers and outdoor theatre enthusiasts, does The Kick and Push Festival ever have a show for you! Deep in the thick forests of City Park, the Lakeside Players (creators of last year’s Cyrano de Bergerac) present another lively tale, or rather a small collection of them, in their fanciful production of Robin Hood. Developed by Jake Rennie and Andrew Cameron (who, in […]

Let’s be real, life has been stressful because of a certain pandemic and we are all in desperate need of fun. For me, that fun was manifested into ChroFATica, a lyrical parody of Lady Gaga’s Chromatica. Featuring topics like NBC’s Superstore and actor John Candy, which I swear makes sense in context, I was treated to a wonderful production produced by and starring the hilarious Hillary Yass – a drag performer from the House of Lix in Toronto. Truly, […]

WARNING: This review contains spoilers. At the end of the day, I get it. Times have been tough, and when the going gets tough and revenue must be guaranteed, safe choices need to be made.  Thousand Islands Playhouse marks its return with award-winning Vancouver playwright Michele Riml’s Sexy Laundry. The play follows the tale of a tepid night shared by a middle-aged couple that aim to fuck themselves out of […]