FreePlay Theater’s spring show, “The Aliens,” is a story about both reflection and thinking about the future. The show tackled love, loss, friendship, insecurities and desire, all through the lens of two friends in their early 30s, who do not know where to go next with their lives and a high school junior who unexpectedly enters their world. Despite the title, there are no aliens from space in this show — just three people who feel like aliens in their own skin.

“The Aliens” began the moment audience members walked through the door of Cholmondeley’s in Usen Castle. As guests entered the space, Maya Shavit ’27 called out in character from the coffee counter, “Welcome in! Please enjoy your stay!” before sheepishly looking away. Shavit played Evan, a junior in high school who spends the summer working at The Green Sheep Coffee House and has crippling anxiety. Before the show began, audience members could interact with “Evan” and ask questions or order a hot drink, immersing themselves in the world of The Green Sheep. Shavit played Evan excellently, both in the show and during the preshow and intermission. Her improv with audience members was really fun — several people, including myself, had full conversations with Shavit while she was in character, and she did not break once. 

Shavit’s nervousness while playing Evan also contrasts effectively with the characters Jasper and KJ, played by Triona Suiter ’27 and Ben Robertson ’26, respectively. Jasper and KJ are friends in their 30s who both clearly share a long and complicated history, having only each other. The dynamics between Suiter and Robertson are engrossing as they taunt each other while also knowing when to offer support. As the characters reminisce about their experiences, particularly when they want to form a band, Suiter and Robertson build on each other, their energy growing more animated with each exchange, showing the audience how important the friendship between KJ and Jasper is.

Suiter brings remarkable depth to Jasper. She starts the play loud and angry, talking about her ex, her novel that is not moving very fast and how all of her friends are assholes, eventually knocking over a chair. When Evan walks into the scene, at first Jasper stays annoyed, but Suiter naturally transitions Jasper from all angry to more caring as the first act goes on. By the end of Act One, during the Fourth of July scene, Jasper has softened, and it is clear why Evan and KJ enjoy being around her so much. Suiter then brings a stunning performance during the second act, as Jasper is silently trying to escape the Green Sheep, banging on windows, trying to get Evan and KJ’s attention, to no avail. As the audience put together the upsetting truth of Jasper’s fate, her panic became more frantic, until eventually she gave up and sat at the coffee bar dejectedly. 

Robertson had fantastic comedic timing and physical acting throughout the entire production. Near the start of the show, when KJ is trying to sneeze, Robertson did not hold back, making his movements as exaggerated as possible to get the biggest laugh he could, and he succeeded. He spends most of the show as a very laid-back character, especially when compared with Evan’s pent-up nervousness. During Act Two, however, after Jasper has died, KJ snaps — and Robertson gives a gut-wrenching performance, she bangs on the wall that is attached to the stage while saying “ladder” progressively louder and louder before collapsing and announcing that Jasper is dead. The entire audience was dead silent. There was a quiet relatability to Robertson’s portrayal of KJ — a character who gets by through acting relaxed and OK, but who has a lot of sadness buried deep.

The most unique part of this production of “The Aliens” was its immersive quality. In standard productions, the audience looks at the backyard of a coffeehouse where employees take their breaks, never seeing the inside of the coffee shop. Trin Hearth, the director of FreePlay’s show, chose to completely change where the audience sat. When they open the show, Hearth gestures to the blue wall with a big hole in it, which is in front of the stage, and reminds the audience that the hole is not really there — the audience is just peering through what should be a complete wall, and seeing conversations we would normally not be able to see. The decision to turn the show into an immersive experience elevates everything, and I cannot imagine seeing “The Aliens” any other way. When I saw the matinée, the natural light through the windows increased the immersion without overpowering the purposeful sound and lighting design that punctuated key moments in the show. Congratulations to Hearth, the actors and the production team on creating one of the most unique and relatable shows of the semester.