REVIEWS // THE ALIENS
THE TORONTO STAR ★★★ 1/2
“Existential pain, masculinity on brilliant display”
THE GLOBE AND MAIL
“Haynes is a hilarious melding of deadpan millennial and childlike sweetness”
NOW MAGAZINE NNNN
“This production is so subtle that you may not even feel the works full effects until later.”
”The Aliens provides no definitive answers, but, wow, does it offer up lots of essential questions.”
STAGE DOOR ★★★★
“Mitchell Cushman's production is stunningly beautiful (and) fully alive...”
“Under Cushman’s direction, the fine cast make Baker’s language and her pauses feel absolutely natural. In fact, the three actors have sunk so deeply into their characters, it’s hard to believe they are acting at all.”
”Coal Mine Theatre has yet another hit on its hands with The Aliens. The company’s careful linking of script, cast and director has ensured that each of its plays, no matter how elusive, is presented in the best possible light.”
TORONTO STAGE
“Glorious and touching.”
“The Aliens, now being given a glorious staging by Coal Mine Theatre, isn’t just worth emotional investment, its one that pays off with inspirited dividends.”
TORONTOIST
“It’s rare to see male intimacy depicted so effectively on stage: desperate, yearning, and fraught with fear...”
“Haynes’s performance is a remarkable Toronto stage debut”
DIGITAL JOURNAL
“(‘Haynes’) Evan morphs believably from a somewhat shy, stuttering Jewish teen to a grieving and lost young man, always approaching the play’s dialogue with the right timing, pacing and rhythm.”
“It also reaffirms the Coal Mine as one of this city’s most interesting theatre companies, willing to take on challenges and able to deliver on them.”
JAMES KARAS
“It’s my first standing ovation of 2020.”
MOONEY ON THEATRE
“It’s a small, spare, beautiful play: go see it.”
MY ENTERTAINMENT WORLD
“You should run to the Coal Mine just for the privilege of seeing (Annie Baker's) work... thoughtfully presented by a fantastic trio of performers.”
"Director Mitchell Cushman elicits complex performances from the perfectly-cast actors and keeps his staging simple and intimate." "...pitch-perfect casting...”
THE SLOTKIN LETTER
“...the most gut-wrenching expression of loss and grief you will hear in a long time.”