PRESS / REVIEWS
DANGEROUS LIAISONS
Jesse is currently starring as Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil in Wren Theatre’s Dangerous Liaisons at The Annex Theatre.
From NEXT Magazine:
Rating: NNNN (out of 5)
Why you should go: It’s a brilliantly performed and seductively psychological game.
Read full NEXT Magazine review here.
“Jesse McQueen’s Marquise de Merteuil commands the elastic Annex stage with lethal charm. From her first appearance – a wickedly funny tableau of her morning toilette in the upper window atop the staircases – she electrifies the space with her serpentine grace and withering commentary.
She skillfully peels back Merteuil’s layers, unfolding the weaponized pain and calculated malice beneath the witty exterior. Her devastating monologue about surmounting a woman’s place in society and inventing herself as a “virtuoso of deceit” lands with particular force under Lee’s decision to isolate her in spotlight — the darkness around her suggesting both the void of her moral universe and the ahistorical universality of her situation.
The chemistry between Bell and McQueen crackles with such electricity that it’s easy to lose ourselves in their dance.”
— Sesaya Arts Magazine (read full review)
“Jesse McQueen and Devin Bell star as the Marquise and Vicomte. Their chemistry is absolutely electric, and they each give passionate performances. McQueen is calculating and smart, while Bell is charming and seductive.”
— A View From The Box (read full review)
LITTLE WOMEN
Jesse played Marmee in Wren Theatre’s 2024 production of Little Women.
“Jesse McQueen and Daniel Christian Jones play Marmee and Mr. March. Their scene together broke me; watching parents grieve a child is deeply moving and these two did an excellent job at bringing these characters to life.”
— A View From The Box (read full review)
“Jesse McQueen portrays matriarch Marmee with compassion, intuition and self-assured strength: she is at once self-aware and a rock, anchoring the sisters in their trials.”
— Sesaya Arts Magazine (read full review)
“One of my favourite bits is retained: when Marmee lifts the veil of her calm, steady disposition and confides to Jo that she’s “angry nearly every day of my life.” For me, that revelation is one of the most resonant in the story—a glimpse into her imperfect humanity, her constant struggle to maintain a dependable facade and noble model for her daughters. McQueen and Mynhardt do it justice.”
— Istvan Dugalin
JUNE
Jesse starred in the titular role of JUNE, which premiered in the Toronto Fringe Festival 2023.
“McQueen stars as the titular character and she does a masterful job at keeping us on our toes.”
“A powerful story beautifully told […] This moving story is brought to life by a talented cast.”
— A View From The Box (read full review)
"Jesse McQueen delivers a quietly powerful performance in the titular role, imbued with psychological nuance but brimming with volatile pain."
“[A]n emotionally resonant story, truthfully told by actors who believe it."
— Our Theatre Voice (read full review)
“Lead Jesse McQueen has an appealing, feisty energy.”
— Broadway World (read full review)
“Strong performances by Daniel Christian Jones and Jesse McQueen anchor June.”
— Intermission Magazine
36 JUNIPER
Jessika co-wrote and starred in this Wrong House Productions original play, which premiered in the East Village, NYC .
“But the real gems—the truly perfect productions—are as rare as a sixty degree day in December in New York City. 36 Juniper is a rare gem. […] we had no idea just how perfect this performance was going to be. […] It's a perfect premise, filled with just the right balance of tension and humor, and the team of Wrong House playwrights (Jessika McQueen, Shannon McInally and Alyssa Abraham) don’t merely do the script justice: they've perfected it.”
— Opplaud (read full review)
“36 Juniper, aside from having a captivating story to tell, has a stellar cast that knows no bounds in talent […] and Jessika McQueen round out a very talented and able-bodied cast that knows how to capture our minds and attention from the start.”
— Kristen Morale, Broadway World (read full review)
“The acting is uniformly good. As Mackenzie, Jessika McQueen plays against stereotypes: proving that the seeming socialite might have more to offer than just tips on the best perfumes to buy. As the storm continues, and her facade fades away, a genuine woman is revealed underneath — elegant beneath borrowed sweatpants.
— Exploring Generational Trauma in 36 Juniper (read full review)
THE MONUMENT
Jessika played the female lead in this Canadian two-character production at The ARTS Project in London, Ontario.
“McQueen shows herself to be ideal for this task […] McQueen embodies that hatred with a character who also tempers it with a larger goal, hoping to find some transcending value in her suffering. More importantly, I was equally impressed that McQueen has a physical presence that makes her character feel capable of carrying out her plan […] When her character’s true pain is revealed, the facets all come together to create a full dimensional heroine worthy of a play with this kind of artistic ambition.”
— Kenneth Chisholm, Theatre In London (read full review)
“McQueen, playing a tough, vengeful woman, did not lose intention throughout the entirety of the show, keeping the audience perpetually anxious in each scene.”
— AHSC Reviews (read full review)
“The actors underplayed all their scenes, each performing admirably […] The actor playing Mejra (who looks like a young Charlotte Rampling) did a good job playing it so tightly. You could sense the pain without its expression.”
— Donald D’Haene, The Beat Magazine
KING LEAR
Jessika played middle sister Regan in the Shakespearean tragedy.
“Jessika McQueen’s Regan captivated the audience and demanded attention, and O’Hara and McQueen were equally as effective projecting disdain with their visages as they were with their voices.”
— Jay Menard, The Beat Magazine
ALL THINGS BEAUTIFUL
Jessika originated the role of Lillian, a prairie woman scorned by her lover, in the world premiere of this Canadian production.
“Jessika McQueen’s Lillian was so realistic that she had male audience members shaking their heads in bewilderment and sympathy for Jack, and female members laughing in recognition and understanding.”
— Jamie-Lee Wilson, The Beat Magazine
