ALMOST, MAINE
Tackling love’s complexities
Show #19: Almost, Maine Where: Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School Director: Hailey Kowal
Love is a wondrous feeling that comes in many different shapes and sizes, as shown in Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School’s magnificent production of Almost, Maine.
Almost, Maine is a collection of nine stories, created by John Cariani and Tom Kochan, centring on an aspect of love. Whether this be falling in love, as shown in They Fell; falling out of love, as shown in Where it Went; or opening yourself up to love even if there is a possibility that you could be hurt, as shown in This Hurts, the diverse range of stories comes together to teach love in a provocative manner.
Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School’s performance was commendable in its impeccable production. From the chemistry among the actors in every story, the perfectly timed lighting and sound which worked wonderfully well to set the tone of current and following scenes, and the sets that were simple, yet effective in their designs, no detail was overlooked in the creation of Almost, Maine.
With his serene movements and composed tone of voice, Jyotir Singh played the naive and earnest Steve in This Hurts to perfection. It was obvious there was something different about Steve due to Singh’s masterful line delivery, facial expressions and body language. Nadine Cheffi was absolutely amazing as Hope in Story of Hope, a story about a girl trying to get her past lover, Daniel (Yusuf Roumeliotis), back after she abandoned him without answering his marriage proposal. The determined, hopeful girl was played brilliantly by Cheffi with her subtle movements and honest delivery of her lines.
Rhys Whale and Brian Rogers as longtime best friends, Randy and Chad, who fall in love, were hilarious thanks to their endearing awkward humour. The movements of Whale and Rogers fit fantastically as they worked through the predicament of admitting their true feelings to each other. A song titled Home Again was written and performed by Sara Gebara during the interlogue of the play and it fit spectacularly with the tone of the show. The lyrics were powerful and evocative, and the stripped down acoustic guitar worked exceptionally with the small town feel of Almost, Maine.
The special effects, done by Ben Langille, Rajessen Sanassy and crew, were perfect in adding a realistic feel to any scene. The fog machine connected to the cabin, the snowfall, and the northern light projection added a realistic atmosphere to the performance. From the precise light switched on during Getting It Back, when Lendall turns on his lamp, to the final spotlight on Pete and Ginette in the epilogue, it is clear that there was no moment forgotten thanks to Ben Langille and Rajessen Sanassy.
Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School’s ingenious production, from its sets to actors and songs, has taught us that love, while it can be daunting, awkward and not always perfect, is a feeling worth fighting for. Next review: Earl of March Secondary School’s production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood.