Two men, a boy, the back of a tiny Vermont coffee shop, and pages from Charles Bukowski literature is The Aliens. An Obie award-winning play that navigates, observes and blurs the lines between life and friendships found in the most unlikely places.

The UNC Charlotte theater department partnered with the architecture department to present this award-winning play in an innovative outdoor production from October 14 – 23. The Aliens is the first play to be done outside for the department and was quite a success. Written by playwright Annie Baker, she has been consistently praised and reviewed for her empathetic portrayal of flawed characters who represent real life and people. In The Aliens, she combines humor, high and intense emotions, and revelations that transcend from the characters to the audience.

KJ (Chester Wolfaardt), a man who lives at home with his mom, and Jasper (Tykiique Cuthkelvin), a high school dropout, are an unlikely pair of street gremlins who have made the back of a coffee shop their hangout spot. While, navigating through life and a recent heartbreak, respectively, KJ and Jasper meet high-schooler Evan Shelmerdine (Kobina Fon-Ndikum), a new hire at the shop entering the awkwardness of his teen years.

The character of Jasper is heartbroken and filled with anger in the early scenes. He is a troubled soul battling with reality and drugs, and is equally conflicted - as if he just lost something. That becomes apparent when he reads from his unpublished book about a man who picks up his life and moves to another state, leaving everything behind. He channels his emotions through his music and poems. We all know someone who is inflicted with the feeling of loneliness and loss. For many students his situation is relatable; being in love with someone who does not return the same emotion can be overwhelming.

Unlike Jasper, KJ finished high school and went to university – only to become a dropout and wind up back at home with his mother. KJ has his own problems, most of them are enabled by mushrooms and weed, and too much free time. His character employs the notion of taking life ‘one day at a time’. Many college students who constantly play a juggling game between school, work and extra-curricular can adhere to this notion.

Distinct from the other two, is high-schooler, Jewish band camp leader, morally and mentally, pristine clean Evan, who is drawn to the two outcasts. In early scenes, Evan is weary of the two men hanging out at the back of the coffee shop, but quickly develops a friendship with them. There is a real connection formed between the three, particularly when they bond over fireworks, home-made brownies and old sparklers during the Fourth of July scene.

The Aliens was emotionally vivid, particularly with the passing of the main character Jasper; who lost his life to an overdose. The relatable characters create a sense of closeness by holding real conversations and developing throughout their story. Additionally, Baker’s play unveiled a cloak on society’s outcasts, and shined a light on people who have similar experiences. “You have to die a few times before you can really live.” - Charles Bukowski, The People Look Like Flowers at Last.