Theatre in Kingston

The Vagina Monologues was certainly an inspiring spiritual event. The Wellington Street Theatre is a former church, and it was wonderful to see these motivated young women transfer this old church of bygone years into their church of female empowerment. In January, Blue Canoe Productions brought blood and revenge to the stage with their rendition of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus, horror from the late 1500's. A cast full of Queen's University students had great audiences and great reviews for this timeless contemplation of man's (or woman's) inhumanity to man. While the savagery seems inconceivable to us in Kingston, we need only pick up the paper. The Vagina Monologues and Titus Andronicus are powerful ways of dealing with terrible events. They allow us to feel. The Not So Amateur Amateurs played to sold-out audiences as well, as talented and energetic kids thrilled their audiences with their sheer enjoyment of being on stage. I particularly thought Victor Kaduk as the mushroom-keeper was outstanding. Miss Julie by August Strindberg sets up shop Thursday February 19th at 8 p.m. and it looks at religion, gender and class in a battle to the death between a man and a woman. It is an amazingly modern play for the time that it was written in the 1800's. I think Tenesse Williams must have been inspired by Strindberg's play to create A Streetcar Named Desire. There are many similar themes. Following that is A Book of Spells, as story-tellers Jan Andrews and Jennifer Cayley celebrate their lives as lesbians. And a note about I Am My Own Wife
which starred Brett Christopher in a one-man show which is currently playing at The Baby Grand. We got to listen in on his rehearsals at The Wellington, and his dedicationa and talent is undeniable. So theatre seems alive and well in Kingston. Domino Theatre, Hope Theatre, Theatre Five and Thousand Island's Playhouse are all pillars of the theatrical community that are able to transport people even for a couple of hours to a place dominated by the imaginationm, a place removed from the nuts and bolts of every day life, a place where a shared experience is possible, and as human beings, as social animals, it is a place we need in our lives