Two middle aged men with lost dreams in the back of a coffee shop had audiences breaking out in laughter over the weekend. The Alpha Psi Omega-Kappa Chapter at Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) decided to kick off the semester with “The Aliens” by Annie Baker. “The Aliens,” a three-character, two-act play entails the story of two men who love to lounge pointlessly in the back of a coffee shop.
One day, while lounging in the back reciting poetry and composing songs the men encounter Evan. The men decide to befriend the young shy teenager who works in the coffee shop. This act makes the characters even more three dimensional as they take Evan under their wing and attempt to teach him everything they know about life.
As Evan and the two men, Jasper and Kevin, develop close friendships a plot twist occurs in the play, shining a light on the importance of friendships and exploring new realms.
The hard-work and collaboration done by the Alpha Psi Omega-Kappa Chapter under the direction of Laurie G. Hoefelmeyer created what many called an “outstanding performance.”
Josue Serna, an Information System major, thought the actors created a memorable performance.
“The actors were really passionate about their roles and the play had a super realistic tone, which I loved. I also like the way that the scenes flowed from one to another and the subtle hints the actors threw to let us know what was going on inside their character’s held. Overall it was a great show and I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of ‘down to earth’ storylines,” Serna said.
Director of the play, Hoefelmeyer, hopes people enjoyed the show and can’t wait for them to come back for the next play in November, “June Bugs.”
“I had an amazing group of people to work with, Dylan Mendoza, Nickolas Villarreal and Jackson Lewis were just so incredible. I’m extremely proud of this production and I’m very pleased to say that this play is actually being considered for a competition piece,” Hoefelmeyer said.
Dylan Mendoza, the actor who played Jasper Kopatch in “The Aliens,” thought the play was a learning experience and thanks everyone who made the production possible.
“This has to be the best theater experience I have had in a show as an actor. ‘The Aliens’ has expanded my craft in theater. I have never related to a character like this before, the entire focus is solely on acting and when you have three actors on stage, it’s tough. The production doesn’t rely heavily on lights or sound. The set is simple for the acting to be showcase,” Mendoza said.
The show was on for three consecutive days starting Sept. 27 with the last performance Sept. 30.