This note finds me very excited about the start of what I hope will become a Toronto and Canadian Theatre staple: the public labs upstairs from The Coal Mine in our newly created sister company The Vault Creation Lab.

Have you ever seen a staged “workshop production” of a play in progress? If you haven’t, and you love theatre, then just know that these are made for people like you. In my heyday this is how new works were first presented: to a public that wanted in on the process of play development. I cannot possibly count the number of times people have said to me “I saw 2 Pianos, 4, Hands when it was a twenty minute “idea” at The Tarragon Spring Arts Fair! And then I saw the one hour version the following year, and the world premiere a year later!” They were in on the show from its conception.

This is an experience Coal Mine co-founder Diana Bentley and her Vault team are trying to create anew. We want to develop plays that will last long after their world premiere productions. The first one up (of three in 2025!) is A Little Closer, by Michael Ross Albert (The Bidding War). There will be four public performances of this script, April 3, 4, 5 and 6. We want you to be there. If you buy a ticket now, you’ll get in! Once you try it out, you’ll be back. This I know.

Please give these incredible artists something the theatre cannot live without: an audience, from the ground level up. Let’s all be part of creating plays that will live on, because they were developed with care, rigour, and diligence in a thrilling environment. I will see you there!

- Ted Dykstra, Artistic Director, Coal Mine Theatre

The world premiere of A Little Closer by Michael Ross Albert, directed/dramaturged by Diana Bentley starts sharing on April 3rd and runs for 4 nights only! Tickets are very limited.

The carefully structured life of Cale, a professional cuddler, begins to unravel as the strangers he welcomes into his home force him to confront his darkest secrets.

AUDIENCE QUESTION: What does it mean to be a good person? Stick around after the show for an optional talk back with the playwright and director, where we as ask audiences to lean into the moral grey ground with us and share their thoughts on character, morality and question the limits of ‘good’ and ‘bad’.

Starring David Reale with Breanna Dillon, Cameron Laurie and Annie Lujan.

A Little Closer runs April 3, 4, 5 and 6 at 7:30pm nightly.

For tickets visit www.thevaultcreationlab.ca.