Kirss, now in his fourth season at Ugala Theater in Viljandi, spent his childhood moving between Estonia and Canada.

His mother is Estonian, born in the U.S. to a family of refugees that fled World War II.

"She grew up in a fully Estonian-speaking family, and had to learn English when she started school at age 7," he said, describing a background familiar to much of the North American diaspora.

Kirss' father is American, and the family moved to Toronto just before Alden was born.

"So my roots are actually American and Estonian, not Canadian, but we fell in love with Canada, so over the years, Canada became home," he acknowledged. "I was born there, went to kindergarten there, then started first grade in Estonia."

Years of back and forth between the two countries followed, with Kirss attending grades 2, 5 and 9 in Toronto. The rest of the time, they lived in Estonia.

It was Estonia's theater scene that ultimately drew him to stay.

"Canada doesn't have a theater scene like this," the actor explained. "It does have theater, but not like here in Estonia or the Baltics or Central Europe. Going to the theater isn't nearly as common there."

Asked whether he had considered acting school in Canada or the U.S. instead, Kirss explained that he liked Estonian theater specifically, right down to the structure of it. "I haven't regretted the fact that I didn't go to Canada at all," he added.

Kirss and his classmate Jass Kalev Mäe are graduates of the 30th acting class of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theater (EMTA), and since 2022, they can be found onstage at Ugala Theater.

The two alumni have each performed in about 15 roles at the Viljandi theater, with premieres nearly every quarter.

"I think the feeling might fade in about ten years, but for now it still feels like we're the new kids here," Kirss admitted.

'Viljandi is a fairytale city'

For Kirss, Viljandi itself holds a special charm, despite being several magnitudes smaller than his Canadian hometown.

"One of my sisters lives in Toronto, and when she visits, I see the city through a different lens," he said. "Otherwise I'm just in a bubble, work-home, work-home, but when my sister's here, I see the town through the eyes of a visitor again. And it's such a fairytale city."

Mäe, by contrast, grew up near Viljandi and has loved theater for as long as he can remember.

"When I was little, maybe in third or fourth grade, I got some kind of Best Male Actor doll," he said, recalling his earliest memories involving theater. "I remember being really little and thinking that maybe this is what I'm supposed to do."

Looking back at their academy years, Mäe admitted that although the students were well cared for, training was strict. Despite long, exhausting workweeks, theater work at Ugala, by contrast, is more playful and offers the actors greater freedom.

"Over time, you get to know yourself better," he said. "The more you act together with your colleagues, the more you get to know your colleagues and yourself, and you start to open up more."

Director Diana Leesalu praised the young actors' drive and focus. "They are always 100 percent committed, never settle for the immediate solution, are always asking questions and thinking further," she said. "They're constantly looking for the best approach and suggesting things."

For Kirss, halfway through his fourth season at Ugala, there is no doubt that Estonia, and its theater scene, is home.

"I visit [Canada] and love it there, but I think my place is here," he said.

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