Sign in

Katherine Kiessling

@katkiessl.bsky.social
236 followers 173 following 48 posts

she/her • @timesunion.com arts & culture reporter • theater, film, tv & pop culture obsessive • Syracuse U alum 🍊 • all opinions are my own • www.katkiessl.com

PostsRepliesMedia
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Dusting off Bluesky for a very important callout: I'm looking for Albany/Capital Region Heated Rivalry fans who are going to the Heated Rivalrave at Empire later this month for a story. If ya wanna obsess over Connor and Hudson/the show, lemme know here or at katherine.kiessling@timesunion.com. 🏒
media.tenor.com
two men are making a heart shape with their arms
ALT: two men are making a heart shape with their arms
020
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 23/09/2025
The TU is asking the big questions because, apparently, The #Rapture is upon us: www.timesunion.com/food/article...
timesunion.com
Tell us: What would you order for your Capital Region last meal?
If you could choose your last meal on Earth from a Capital Region restaurant, what would you choose?
121
Reposted by Katherine Kiessling
Casey Seiler @caseyseiler.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
The Arts Center of the Capital Region, concerned that a $50K federal grant to support a public art project in South Troy would come with anti-DEI-and-what-have-you strings attached, told the NEA to keep its money. @katkiessl.bsky.social reports.
timesunion.com
Arts Center of Capital Region declines $50K NEA grant over DEI rules
The Arts Center of the Capital Region turned down a $50,000 federal grant from the NEA over fears of censorship and anti-DEI requirements.
161
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 20/08/2025
What doth it mean to be an original practices traveling Shakespeare troupe in the year of Our Lord 2025? For Will Kempe's Players, it's embracing the basics of the Bard to best connect with audiences (and maybe a laugh-out-loud needle drop or two courtesy of some merry minstrels). shorturl.at/Rg25o
shorturl.at
Will Kempe's Players embrace the basics of the Bard
The touring Shakespeare troupe prioritizes historic, Elizabethan practices to create theater magic for audiences across the Capital Region.
011
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 20/08/2025
I was fascinated by how zines' aesthetics and themes transcended time. Things I read in the state library's massive archive could easily be in zine libraries today. And as a physical media girly, the insights on how zines are a rebellion against the social media era were *chef's kiss*
032
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 28/07/2025
I'm kinda the worst at remembering to use social media, but I've worked on a couple of fun and fulfilling stories lately, so here's a little roundup.
152
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
And in more local theater news: Playhouse Stage is launching a new works program this weekend with a folk musical co-created and composed by Clifton Park's own Maria Isabella Andreoli and her longtime creative partner EmmaLee Kidwell.
000
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
The Capital Region is a hidden theater paradise, thanks to roughly a zillion historic and brand-new companies. To spotlight this, Patrick White created the Capital Region Theatre Fest (aka CRFT). Four days of workshops and performances kick off tonight. www.timesunion.com/festivals/ar...
timesunion.com
Capital Region Theatre Festival debuts with 4 days of events
Stretching from Capital Repertory to Fort Salem Theater, the diverse range of workshops, panels and performances champions the local theater scene.
120
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 28/05/2025
Spent a day with some self-professed "boat nerds" and maybe became one myself? Fifteen years ago, crews working on One World Trade Center unearthed a Revolutionary War gunboat. Now, it's being reassembled IRL at the New York State Museum. www.timesunion.com/art/article/...
timesunion.com
Revolutionary War gunboat, found at Ground Zero, docks at the State Museum
Almost 15 years after its discovery during the construction of One World Trade Center, the gunboat is being reassembled at the New York State Museum.
042
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 07/05/2025
Amidst all the federal arts and culture cuts that just keep coming, this was a ray of joy. Everyone should have the opportunity to try art just because they want to. I love that Shaker Pointe and resident Dick Holmes are making that happen. Creativity and community have no age limit.
043
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
This month's Creative Corners column takes on Live Nation, its 25-year relationship with SPAC and how the good and the baggage of that partnership are tightly woven with one of the biggest and most controversial mergers in live entertainment history. www.timesunion.com/music/articl...
timesunion.com
Creative Corners: Live Nation and SPAC, explained
For 25 years, Saratoga Performing Arts Center and Live Nation have partnered — for better and for worse — on the amphitheater’s popular music series.
012
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 09/03/2025
Even after reporting on this, I made the rookie mistake of not bringing tissues to today's concert.
020
Reposted by Katherine Kiessling
Eric Schmeltzer @ericschmeltzer.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
Here is the pre-RFK vaccination schedule for your kids. Please download it before he is confirmed and changes/deletes it. Give it to your pediatrician and say this is the schedule you want your kids on. Making this my pinned post.
10358383704
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
“Community is such a big part of how art is made and why it gets made.” -- Edie Fake Two floors + over 150 queer artists = the biggest Tang exhibit to date. So many things stuck with me from Edie Fake's convo with Tang Director Ian Berry, most of which I managed to fit in here: shorturl.at/1PDCj
timesunion.com
Tang's biggest exhibition puts queer art, community in focus
The Tang Teaching Museum's "a field of bloom and hum" features over 150 artists across two floors, including a new commission by Edie Fake.
111
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
New Orleans, I'm so sorry for your telephone poles. #gobirds
000
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
me whenever brady is speaking
media.tenor.com
a woman in a black dress says it - it - the f - it - flam - flames
ALT: a woman in a black dress says it - it - the f - it - flam - flames
110
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
The CGI seal Seal might be my new paralysis demon.
020
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
If you have time over the next two days to see "Parade" at Proctors, go. The chilling modern-day parallels are impossible to ignore is this beautifully staged and performed production, which officially launched its national tour last night. www.timesunion.com/theater/arti...
timesunion.com
Review: 'Parade' an urgent musical tragedy at Proctors
The musical, which is based on the 1913 trial, two year imprisonment and eventual lynching of Leo Frank, serves poignant modern-day parallels.
231
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
It's Saratoga Jazz Fest announcement szn (outside lawn chairs included). www.timesunion.com/music/articl...
timesunion.com
Saratoga Jazz Festival announces Trombone Shorty, Gary Clark Jr. in 2025 lineup
The 48th annual two-day festival returns to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center with Cory Wong, Gregory Porter, Cassandra Wilson and more this June.
022
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
The City of Albany and the New York State Museum could get a combined $400 million facelift under the governor's latest proposal. www.timesunion.com/news/article...
timesunion.com
Hochul proposes massive state investment in downtown Albany, State Museum
The governor, as part of her State of the State address, wants to spend $400 million on projects designed to remake New York's capital city.
124
Reposted by Katherine Kiessling
Dan Clark @danclarkreports.bsky.social · 09/01/2025
NY Court of Appeals declines to delay Trump sentencing www.timesunion.com/capitol/arti...
timesunion.com
New York's highest court won't delay Trump's sentencing, judge decides
That sentencing is scheduled to take place Friday in Manhattan, where Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records in May.
022
Reposted by Katherine Kiessling
Dan Diamond @ddiamond.bsky.social · 09/01/2025
Shoutout to the Los Angeles Times reporters who are doing essential journalism under very difficult circumstances. They’ve dropped their paywall, but their ongoing coverage is a good reminder of why local newsrooms need support — and what we lose when those outlets are hollowed out.
latimes.com
5 dead, more than 2,000 structures burned as new fire hits Hollywood Hills
More than 2,000 structures have burned and at least five people are dead in wildfires burning across L.A. County. Red flag warnings remained in effect for Los Angeles County and much of Ventura County...
219102242081
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
Is the fire inside babygirls actually Sonic the Hedgehog? Inquiring minds want to know.
000
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 03/01/2025
Getting "rex appeal" and "Triassic tryst" into print was a pretty rad way to kick off 2025. Being on set for "Books" would've been delightful even without inflated dinos. Market Block Books - and indie shops like it - are special, and the creators know it. www.timesunion.com/movies/artic...
timesunion.com
Market Block Books in Troy location of new TV sitcom pilot
A new workplace sitcom "Books," starring Spencer Grammer and Ajay Naidu, shot its pilot at Market Block Books.
143
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 16/12/2024
I think at least a third of my childhood was spent screlting "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" and "That Don't Impress Me Much" with my mom in the car, so I am thrilled. www.timesunion.com/music/articl...
timesunion.com
Shania Twain coming to SPAC in July
The country star behind "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" will play Saratoga Performing Arts Center this summer.
110
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
In honor of the Santa Speedo Sprint returning this weekend for its 19th annual half-naked run down Lark Street, I thought I would revive my story from last year unwrapping the charm (and insider tips!) of the second oldest festively Speedo'd dash in the country. www.timesunion.com/preview/arti...
timesunion.com
Unwrapping the charm of Albany's Santa Speedo Sprint
From the best speed to costume tips, Jim Larson, co-organizer and de facto face of the Santa Speedo Sprint, knows how to get the most out of the irreverent day.
000
Reposted by Katherine Kiessling
DAME Magazine @damemagazine.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
Hi Editor and Journalism friends! We’ve got a feature we're looking to assign and on the hunt for a writer who has some expertise/knowledge of the history of the Gilded Age. If you know someone (or are that someone) we’d love to connect!
1717876
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Interviewing Jerry Grant of the Shaker Museum marked a first for me: instead of diving into questions or a tour, we began with rocking, relishing in the quiet for a solid five minutes or so. “We don’t spend enough time thinking,” he said. And he's right. www.timesunion.com/art/article/...
timesunion.com
Interactive, Shaker-inspired 'Cradled' exhibit about calm and care
Inspired by Shaker adult cradles, the exhibit explores communal caregiving and traditional end-of-life practices at Kinderhook Knitting Mill.
103
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
When tasked with creating a list of holiday events beyond the traditional Dickensian strolls, I was instantly drawn to how the queer community was making the season their own, starting with A Big Gay Market & Context Collective's collab on "A Big Gay December."🌈 www.timesunion.com/preview/arti...
timesunion.com
End Tag: A Big Gay December queers up the holiday season
Holiday makers markets get a queer update at Context Collective, plus other festive extras to fill out your calendar with unexpected delights.
022
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 05/12/2024
At @albanynylibrary.bsky.social, you can check out experiences alongside books thanks to its pass program, offering low or no cost entry to museums, parks and more across the region. Thanks to a new partnership w/Albany Symphony, the program now includes concerts. www.timesunion.com/music/articl...
timesunion.com
Albany Public Library, Albany Symphony team up to offer free concert passes
Through a new partnership, library cardholders can now check out a limited number of passes to select Albany Symphony concerts.
1157
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
Sad to discover my three straight nights of playing nothing but owl sounds to coax a bat out of my apartment didn't make my Spotify Wrapped.
010
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
At the top of “MJ,” a reporter asks Michael Jackson if it's possible to separate his life from his music. For a bio-musical about the King of Pop, it's a loaded question, and one "MJ" shies away from in favor of eye-catching spectacle surrounding the man in a rose-tinted mirror. tinyurl.com/msmxwfbd
timesunion.com
Review: 'MJ' a complicated pop music spectacle at Proctors
The Michael Jackson bio-musical weaves the King of Pop's biggest hits into a dazzling theatrical spectacle that asks if life can be separated from art.
000
Reposted by Katherine Kiessling
Teddy Wilson @reportbywilson.bsky.social · 21/11/2024
Dear Editors — If you’re considering publishing an article about issues related to transgender people, then perhaps you should consider assigning that article to a transgender journalist. Don’t have any transgender journalists in your newsroom? @transjournalists.org has several valuable resources:
transjournalists.org
Trans Journalists Association
Promoting more accurate, nuanced coverage of trans issues and communities in the media. Supporting gender-expansive journalists in their careers.
91522514
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
At Lenny's Latin Nights, I learned strangers don't stay strangers long, wallflowers (even those there to report) are expected on the dancefloor and joy reigns supreme. The eponymous Lenny designed the socials to be a haven for all, and that's what they've become. www.timesunion.com/theater/arti...
timesunion.com
At Lenny's Latin Nights, everyone is welcome to bring the heat
Jamaican immigrant Clarence Lenny Bernard built an inclusive haven through his late-night Latin dance socials at his studio Move Fitness by Lenny.
110
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 17/11/2024
I am seated.
010
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
Today, work took me to the small village of Middleburgh as part of the TU's "Stopping By" series. One of my favorite parts of this travel series is seeing how even the smallest of towns find ways to uplift artists, like this art park filling up what would otherwise be an empty, grassy median.
000
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 14/11/2024
I was not prepared to cry into my tortellini soup while watching the newest episode of "Dan Da Dan," but here I am in my feels slurping up some suddenly salty broth.
media.tenor.com
a cartoon of a girl sitting at a desk with tears running down her face
ALT: a cartoon of a girl sitting at a desk with tears running down her face
000
Katherine Kiessling @katkiessl.bsky.social · 14/11/2024
me logging on to yet another social media platform where I'll irregularly post, regularly lurk and hopefully never have to abandon when it's sold to some other white man trying to go to space to feel special
media.tenor.com
a cartoon of a man sitting in front of a computer with the word netflix on the bottom right
ALT: a cartoon of a man sitting in front of a computer with the word netflix on the bottom right
041