REVIEWS // KNIVES IN HENS
THE TORONTO STAR
“…the Coal Mine’s “Knives in Hens” is a dreamlike production that’s hard to pin down and escapes simple categorization...”
THE GLOBE AND MAIL — ★★½
“Director Leora Morris has given the play a stark, seductive treatment and her three actors are flawless.”
”Robust and radiant, (Diana Bentley) portrays her character’s intellectual awakening with a near-rapturous excitement.”
NOW MAGAZINE — NNNN
“Razor sharp production”
”Leora Morris’s production is thrilling”
”The way Morris directs (Diana Bentley) adds to the delicious ambiguity about her character’s motivations, something you’ll be pondering long after the play ends.”
STAGE DOOR — ★★★★ STARS
TORONTO STAGE
“...trio of high calibre talent yield some memorable performances...”
“...never a let down when Coal Miners aim to unearth poetic beauty...”
LIFE WITH MORE COWBOY
“...fascinating, visceral, philosophical, sensual...”
LUDWIG VAN TORONTO
“...quintessential Coal Mine fare... challenging, substantive, provocative and dark.”
“Coal Mine is regarded in the top tier of Toronto indie companies.”
“The acting is very strong.”
“Talented director Leora Morris has created a production that is stark, clean and austere, but that speaks volumes to the subtexts.”
MOONEY ON THEATRE
“Dynamic, Effective and Engaging Production of a Thought-Provoking Script”
“...an absorbing, delightfully tense production”
“…a highly effective ensemble under the guidance of Morris.”
MY ENTERTAINMENT WORLD
“...a beautiful rendition...”
“Diana Bentley is subtle and physical in a superb iteration of the Young Woman, while Jim Mezon’s gruff Pony William serves as a roughened, masculine balance of energy. Jonathon Young (of Vancouver’s Electric Company Theatre) channels Gilbert Horn the miller’s magnetism in spades, to make for a very tight trio of players.”
“Sensual, philosophical, and simple all in one fell swoop... this version has captured the spirit of Harrower’s original vision with gusto.”
MY GAY TORONTO
THE SLOTKIN LETTER
“A tremendous production of a play bristling with invention, yearning, language, power, sensuality, passion and longing.”
“Director Leora Morris is so gifted. She has a clear vision and vivid imagination and creates scenes that are stark, surprising and arresting.”
“Once again, the edgy, scrappy Coal Mine Theatre presents a bristling play given a dandy production.”
SLOW CITY
“Coal Mine’s extraordinarily remarkable handling of such controversial material in the capable hands of Leora Morris riveted me to pay close attention to this 80-minute production without intermission.”
“What highly impresses me about Coal Mine is the company’s selection of works that are edgy, confrontational and in your face, which makes good theatre.”
“These three skilled actors gallantly command the stage and handle the language of the text solidly.”
“Once again, a strongly evocative production of passion, desire and longing with consequences”