MEDIA KIT Coal Mine Theatre presents THE ALIENS September 17 – October 8, 2017 Written by Annie Baker | Directed by Mitchell Cushman
Will Greenblatt, Noah Reid and Max Haynes photo by Tim Leyes
PAGE 2: Media Release PAGE 3: Media Coverage PAGE 7: Production Photography
Media Contact: FLIP PUBLICITY, 416.533.7710, Carrie Sager X224, [email protected]
FB/coalminetheatre • @coalminetheatre • IG/coalminetheatre #cmTheAliens
For Immediate Release: September 20, 2017 • Please include in your listings/announcements
Coal Mine Theatre presents The Canadian Premiere of THE ALIENS Written by Annie Baker | Directed by Mitchell Cushman September 17–October 8, 2017
Coal Mine Theatre launches its highly anticipated 17/18 season with the Canadian premiere of THE ALIENS, the award- winning play by Pulitzer Prize Award-winning playwright Annie Baker, opening Wednesday, September 20, 2017.
Behind a Vermont coffee shop is where misfits Jasper and KJ find asylum from the achingly lonely world around them. Here they are geniuses. Here they are the next best novelist and a spiritual healer. Here they meet seventeen-year-old café employee Evan, who is pulled into to their world of magic mushrooms, philosophical musings, and would-be rock bands. THE ALIENS is a cruel and compassionate examination of a lost generation in modern-day America.
Annie Baker is a multi-award-winning American playwright who received the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for The Flick. Sharing the Obie Award for Best New American Play in 2010 with another Baker script, Circle Mirror Transformation, THE ALIENS, a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for women playwrights, premiered Off-Broadway in April 2009 and the West End in September of the same year. "We’re lucky to be living in the era of Annie Baker," The New Yorker.
Making his Coal Mine directorial debut is Mitchell Cushman, multi-award-winning artist and founding Artistic Director of Outside The March. Winner of the Siminovitch Prize for Protégé Director in 2013, Mitchell recently directed Lessons in Temperament for Soulpepper in New York City. He has received multiple awards for his theatre work including the Ken McDougall Award, Toronto Theatre Critics’ award for Best Director, and two Dora Awards for Outstanding Production (Vitals, Mr. Marmalade).
The all-Canadian cast of THE ALIENS features film and stage actor/musician Noah Reid (Creditors/Coal Mine, Schitt’s Creek/CBC) as the temperamental writer Jasper; Will Greenblatt (The Strangers/ DopoLavoro Teatrale, Little Mosque on the Prairie/CBC) as the mild-mannered thinker KJ; and Maxwell Haynes (Minority Report/FOX, The Killing/Netflix) as the awkward and impressionable high school student Evan.
Coal Mine Theatre presents fearlessly challenging plays, produced, directed, designed and performed at the highest possible level. With less than 100 seats available per performance, Coal Mine is inspired by the intimacy and excitement of the off-off-Broadway experience. The Coal Mine’s fourth season under Chief Engineers Diana Bentley and Ted Dykstra continues with Poison by Lot Vekemans, translated by Rina Vergano; Rumours by Fleetwood Mac: A COAL MINE CONCERT; and Category E by Belinda Cornish.
Coal Mine Theatre presents The Canadian Premiere of THE ALIENS Written by Annie Baker Directed by Mitchell Cushman Starring Will Greenblatt, Maxwell Haynes, Noah Reid Set and Costume Design by Anahita Dehbonehie Lighting Design by Nick Blais Sound Design by Sam Sholdice
September 17 – October 8, 2017 Opening Night: Wednesday, September 20, 2017 Coal Mine Theatre, 1454 Danforth Avenue, Toronto Tuesday-Saturday @ 7:30 • Sunday Matinee @ 2pm (Sunday preview @ 7:30pm) All Tickets $42.50 + hst (previews $25 + hst) Season Pass $140 + hst • On Sale until September 17 only! • brownpapertickets.com/TheCoalMine
For more info visit coalminetheatre.com FB/coalminetheatre • @coalminetheatre • IG/coalminetheatre #cmTheAliens
Coal Mine Theatre is graciously sponsored by Season Four Moksha Yoga Danforth and Magic Oven Danforth.
MEDIA CONTACT: FLIP PUBLICITY, 416.533.7710 Carrie Sager X224, [email protected] Coal Mine Theatre presents THE ALIENS September 17 – October 8, 2017 Written by Annie Baker | Directed by Mitchell Cushman
Media Coverage
Stage-Door.com, January 1, 2018 Best Productions of 2017: The Aliens http://www.stage-door.com/Theatre/2017/Entries/2018/1/1_Best_Productions_of_2017.html
Now Magazine, December 15, 2017 Introducing... the breakthrough Toronto stage artists of 2017: Maxwell Haynes https://nowtoronto.com/culture/stage/breakthrough-toronto-stage-artists-of-2017/
Intermission Magazine, December 18, 2017 Perfect Set Right-Down-to-the-Cigarette-Butts-in-the-Moulding-of-the-Wall Award The One(s) to Watch Award: Maxwell Haynes https://www.intermissionmagazine.ca/2017-in-review/lynn-slotkins-tootsie-awards/
Toronto Stage, September 28, 2017 Glorious and Touching http://torontostage.com/the-aliens/
Sprockets and Greasepaint, September 28, 2017 THE ALIENS and TITLE and DEED get the Toronto Theatre season off to a fine start http://inamagickingdom.blogspot.ca/2017/09/the-aliens-and-title-and-deed-get.html
Mooney on Theatre, September 28, 2017 The Aliens, by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, arrives on the Toronto stage https://www.mooneyontheatre.com/2017/09/28/review-the-aliens-coal-mine-theatre/
Canadian Jewish News, September 28, 2017 The Aliens come to Toronto http://www.cjnews.com/culture/entertainment/aliens-come-toronto
The Slotkin Letter, September 27, 2017 Review: THE ALIENS http://slotkinletter.com/2017/09/review-the-aliens
Torontoist, September 26, 2017 Torontoist’s Fall Theatre Round-Up: The Aliens https://torontoist.com/2017/09/torontoists-fall-theatre-round-up-part-1-the-aliens/
Tapeworthy, September 26, 2017 Reality and Beyond - The Aliens and Mary Jane - Play Reviews http://tapeworthy.blogspot.ca/2017/09/reality-and-beyond-aliens-and-mary-jane.html
NOW Magazine, September 26, 2017 The Aliens will get under your skin https://nowtoronto.com/stage/theatre/the-aliens-annie-baker-coal-mine-review/
Intermission, September 25, 2017 Three to See / September 25-October 1 https://www.intermissionmagazine.ca/three-to-see/theatre-this-week-september-25-oct-1/ Theatromania, September 24, 2017 Coal Mine Theatre launches fourth season with philosophical Annie Baker play http://www.theatromania.ca/news/aliens
James Karas Reviews, September 24, 2017 The Aliens – Review of Coal Mine Theatre Production http://jameskarasreviews.blogspot.ca/2017/09/the-aliens-review-of-coal-mine-theatre.html
Eric’s Hangout, September 24, 2017 Baker’s Aliens http://erics-hangout.blogspot.ca/2017/09/bakers-aliens.html
Toronto Star, September 23, 2017 Existential pain, masculinity on brilliant display in Annie Baker’s ‘The Aliens’: review https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/stage/2017/09/23/existential-pain-masculinity-on-brilliant-display-in- annie-bakers-the-aliens-review.html
Digital Journal, September 23, 2017 Review: Annie Baker’s ‘The Aliens’ makes impressive Toronto debut http://www.digitaljournal.com/entertainment/entertainment/review-annie-baker-s-the-aliens-makes-impressive- toronto-debut/article/503208
The Globe and Mail, September 22, 2017 Review: Annie Baker’s The Aliens is a beautifully structured early career gem https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/arts/theatre-and-performance/theatre-reviews/review-annie-bakers-the- aliens-is-a-beautifully-structured-early-career-gem/article36368323/
The Globe and Mail, September 22, 2017 Enter stage right: a new, supernatural era of theatre https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/arts/theatre-and-performance/enter-stage-right-a-new-supernatural-era-of- theatre/article36367168/
Stage Door, September 22, 2017 Coal Mine Theatre has yet another hit on its hands with The Aliens http://www.stage-door.com/Theatre/Current_Reviews/Entries/2017/9/22_The_Aliens.html
My Entertainment World, September 22, 2017 Artist of the Week, available in pdf only
My Entertainment World, September 22, 2017 Annie Baker’s Aliens at the Coal Mine http://www.myentertainmentworld.ca/2017/09/aliens/
In the Greenroom, September 21, 2017 In Conversation with Mitchell Cushman, Director of THE ALIENS https://inthegreenroom.ca/2017/09/21/mitchell-cushman-the-aliens/
Beach Metro, September 20, 2017 Entertainment Beat for Sept. 19, 2017 http://www.beachmetro.com/2017/09/20/entertainment-beat-sept-19-2017/
Jazz FM, September 18, 2017 Mark Wigmore’s Top 3 https://www.jazz.fm/index.php/component/content/article/16169
Intermission, September 18, 2017 Three to See / September 18-24 https://www.intermissionmagazine.ca/three-to-see/theatre-this-week-september-18-24/ Intermission, September 18, 2017 Openings and Closings – Week of September 18 https://www.intermissionmagazine.ca/news/openings-closings/openings-closings-week-of-september-18/
CBC Here and Now, September 14, 2017 Interview with Will Greenblatt and Noah Reid https://clyp.it/4i1vpmwm?token=84f6ce9c51f8f8bd2dfbbffcfae359d8
The Globe and Mail, September 13, 2017 Hottest tickets in town: Five things to do in Toronto https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/hottest-tickets-in-town-five-things-to-do-in- toronto/article36249001/?ref=http://www.theglobeandmail.com&
Toronto Star, September 12, 2017 The Coal Mine Theatre stays small but ambitious https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/stage/2017/09/12/the-coal-mine-theatre-stays-small-but-ambitious- fricker.html
NOW Magazine, September 12, 2017 In praise of Toronto theatre's super-fans https://nowtoronto.com/stage/theatre/in-praise-of-toronto-theatre-s-super-fans/
Toronto Life, September 11, 2017 Best Bets https://torontolife.com/culture/toronto-events-september-2017-handmaids-tale-margaret-atwood/
Juicy Stuff, September 10, 2017 The Aliens at Coal Mine Theatre http://www.juicystuff.ca/2017/09/10/aliens-coal-theatre/
Scene Changes, September 1, 2017, available in pdf only
Fifty Five Plus, September 1, 2017, available in pdf only
Don411, August 27, 2017 Coal Mine Theatre presents The Canadian Premiere of THE ALIENS http://don411.com/coal-mine-theatre-presents-the-canadian-premiere-of-the-aliens-written-by-annie-baker- directed-by-mitchell-cushman-september-17-october-8-2017/
Toronto Star, August 25, 2017 Entertainment Correction https://www.thestar.com/opinion/corrections/2017/08/25/entertainment-correction-for-aug-26.html
Broadway World, August 24, 2017 The Coal Mine Theatre Launches New Season with THE ALIENS https://www.broadwayworld.com/toronto/article/The-Coal-Mine-Theatre-Launches-New-Season-with-THE- ALIENS-20170824
Toronto Star, August 16, 2017 The Toronto theatre we don’t want to miss this season https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/stage/2017/08/16/heres-what-karen-fricker-and-carly-maga-dont-want- to-miss-this-toronto-theatre-season.html
Eric’s Hangout, August 1, 2017 Baker's Aliens and other fleeting visits http://erics-hangout.blogspot.ca/2017/08/bakers-aliens-and-other-fleeting-visits.html
Toronto Star, July 31, 2017 The Aliens Opens New Coal Mine Theatre Season, available in pdf only
The Theatre Reader, July 30, 2017 Coal Mine Theatre Announces Fourth Season https://www.thetheatrereader.com/blog/2017/7/30/coal-mine-theatre-announces-fourth-season
Toronto Star, July 27, 2017 Coal Mine Season Announcement https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/stage/2017/07/27/annie-bakers-the-aliens-opens-new-coal-mine- theatre-season.html
Canada24news.com, July 27, 2017 Annie Baker's The Aliens Opens New Coal Mine Theatre Season http://www.canada24news.com/entertainment/annie-bakers-the-aliens-opens-new-coal-mine-theatre- season/14554-news
Broadway World, July 25, 2017 Annie Baker's THE ALIENS and More Slated for #SeasonFour at The Coal Mine Theatre http://www.broadwayworld.com/toronto/article/Annie-Bakers-THE-ALIENS-and-More-Slated-for-SeasonFour- at-The-Coal-Mine-Theatre-20170725
Listings Toronto.com, September 27, 2017 available in pdf only East End Arts, August 11, 2017 http://eastendarts.ca/event/the-aliens/2017-09-27/ NOW Magazine, August 11, 2017 https://nowtoronto.com/events/the-aliens/ ToDoCanada, August 11, 2017 https://www.todocanada.ca/city/toronto/coal-mine-theatre Toronto.com, August 11, 2017 http://www.toronto.com/events/the-aliens/ What’s on Tonight, August 11, 2017 http://whatsontonight.ca/production/1373/
Coal Mine Theatre presents THE ALIENS September 17 – October 8, 2017 Written by Annie Baker | Directed by Mitchell Cushman
High Resolution Production Photos: DROPBOX All Photos by Tim Leyes
Will Greenblatt, Maxwell Haynes, Noah Reid photo by Tim Leyes
Will Greenblatt, Maxwell Haynes, Noah Reid photo by Tim Leyes