News & Reviews Archive

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
  • 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

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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A monastery with a sign in front that reads "MONASTIC AREA DO NOT ENTER" that is bordered with a purple circle that reads "SAILING TO THE MOON"

‘Sailing to the Moon,’ Contemplating the Monastery

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

“What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves?”- Thomas Merton Presented at Theatre Kingston’s Fringe Festival, Color and Light’s Sailing to the Moon follows a young, wandering man named Tom (Thomas Cherney) who is trying to understand the value in pursuing monastic life in a forest. Injuring his foot on his journey to the monastery, […]

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In block letters reads 'KIM'S CONVENIENCE,' the 'Kim's' being red and the 'convenience' being green.

A Beloved Comedy! But let’s talk about Audience…

  • Review
  • Thousand Islands Playhouse

What do we owe our parents? And what do theatres owe their audiences?  Kim’s Convenience by Ins Choi is a play loved by many in the greater Toronto area, and after the success of the TV adaptation on CBC, it has gained national attention. The story is an endearing family comedy following a day in the life of Mr. Kim: a convenience store owner who immigrated from Korea to start […]

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A logo titled ' The Murderous Mansion of Mr. Uno' with a dark, creepy mansion that has two lightning bolts striking it.

‘The Murderous Mansion of Mr. Uno’: A Slick and Stylish Escapade

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

Lovers of Clue, and Murder by Death will be sad to know that they missed out on  Kingston Fringe’s The Murderous Mansion of Mr. Uno presented by The Not So Amateur Amateurs. The story is one you’re likely familiar with. Think Agatha Christie or “closed circle” stories like And Then There Were None. But what makes it exceptional, is the ensemble of young artists that made it happen!  The play […]

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Studio 013’s ‘R.E.D.’ ⁠— Proof That “Easy” Doesn’t Mean “Good”

  • Festival
  • Review
  • Storefront Fringe Festival
  • Theatre Kingston

A one woman, one robot, one act show set on a space station, R.E.D. is the frugal producer’s dream show. But the cracks start to show almost immediately.

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I Wish ‘Gone’ Would Never Go

  • Festival
  • Kick & Push Festival
  • Review
  • Storefront Fringe Festival
  • Theatre Kingston

Shrimp cocktail.
Top 40 hits of the 1990’s.
The shady dealings of the 1%.
An unhinged rendition of I am The Greatest Star.

All of these elements and more can be found in Gone, presented by Toronto-based writer and performer Amber Mackereth. A romp in the anxieties of the global citizen, this work is unlike anything else playing at the Kingston Fringe.

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Never Swim Alone, or when male egotism catches up with itself

  • Kick & Push Festival
  • Review
  • Storefront Fringe Festival
  • Theatre Kingston

Never Swim Alone is a Canadian classic that just needs a little more reinvention than what the script calls for. My understanding of the work is that it’s meant to be a critique of the ways in which men have been socialized, yet the play as it stands does not offer anything more than making toxic masculinity known.

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Who/What/When/Where defines you? — Anthropic Traces

  • Crow's Theatre
  • Indigenous Theatre
  • Review

The word anthropic is defined as informing or concerning the existence of human life, or simply, caused by human beings—anthropogenic. To me, Anthropic Traces is about the water, in which it concerns: movement, borders, and gatekeeping. Through war, displacement, and governing bodies, many of the characters experience displacement. The piece has so many different stories for all walks of life to relate to. Though it was not for me to speak back to, I still wanted to speak about the work with friends.

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From Young Artists to Young Audiences—Once Upon a Time: A Play with Music

  • Festival
  • Review
  • Storefront Fringe Festival
  • Theatre Kingston

While the show is clearly intended for a younger audience, there is an undeniable charm in Anne Marie Mortensen’s writing and the performances from the teenage actors. 

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The Music Man Delivers Exactly What You’re Expecting

  • Review
  • Thousand Islands Playhouse

There is no more nuance in this production, no deeper message, nothing else of note. If you are looking to see ‘The Music Man’ as it was staged originally in 1957, you’re in luck. There weren’t really any risks taken or boundaries pushed, and sometimes that’s what audiences are looking for, fine! But I would’ve been happy to see this talented creative team take on something that has the potential to be more relevant.

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‘Brown Butter’ Heals from the Inside Out

  • News
  • Review
  • Uncategorized

Something is brewing at Agnes Etherington’s former home. Correction: something is rising, proofing, marinating, braising, and burning at the Agnes.

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