Storefront Festival

2021 Storefront Fringe Festival – In Person or Online

Anyone who has followed this blog must be aware that even under typical circumstances, the Storefront Fringe Festival always excites me, and gets me in the writing groove…This year, of course, it’s even more inspiring, as we gradually open up and figure out how to reintegrate theatre and the performing arts back into our lives…

This year’s Festival offers a variety of mediums in various formats that cater to any and all levels of comfort audience members may have…Also, this is the first year that the local newspaper, the Kingston Whig Standard, has provided review coverage for the Festival shows! The reviews ran as smaller capsule entries in two parts – one featuring the virtual offerings, and another the live productions…

The downside of traditional media coverage is that I had to limit content to this short-term format, BUT that is the advantage of this blog! If you have questions or differing opinions, please share them here, and let’s have a conversation…

(Also the Kingston Theatre Alliance is featuring full reviews from their contributors!)

Share Your ‘Storefront’ Reviews!

SFF on whiteThe inaugural Storefront Festival, conceived and presented by Theatre Kingston as part of The Kick and Push Festival, kicks off on Friday, July 15th!

I recognize that this site has been dormant for sometime – but my desire to engage and promote dialogue in response to innovative theatre offerings remains the same.  I can think of no more suitable opportunity to reboot this project than a Festival such as this. Brett Christopher’s vision out of the gate was encapsulated in the tagline “Uncurated, Uncensored, Unboring”, and I have to admit, it piqued my interest!

Here’s what I would love to see happen…

1/ Go to a show.  Go to MANY shows.  Support these ambitious artists, who are pushing the envelope and testing the limits of their talent as well as the parameters of the traditional theatre experience.  Be a part of the audience with whom they so desperately want to connect.

2/ Come back here and post a mini-review of whatever you see, by way of a comment.  I think it’s safe to say that these eager artists are looking for your feedback – both positive reinforcement and constructive criticism.  Keep in mind that the purpose of this site is to help foster our local theatre community, and everyone’s Festival experience only stands to be enhanced.

3/ Keep the conversation going.  Personal commentary and multiple perspectives serve to enrich live theatre, so feel free to reply respectfully to reviews posted by others.  Do not passively watch these cutting edge productions.  Digest and discuss them.  Be a Storefront Festival participant.

And finally, don’t limit the discussion to this site – take the conversation to your favourite pub or restaurant after each show, and share your thoughts across social media platforms.  Trust me.  The larger and more lively the conversation, the greater the Storefront Festival experience will be for everyone…

I look forward to reading YOUR reviews of the shows that you get to see over the next 9 days!

Find the Storefront Festival brochure here…