Last Friday marked the opening night of the play Almost, Maine performed by our High School’s resident group of thespians. The play features residents of a small township aptly named ‘Almost’ and chronicles various individuals’ trials and tribulations of love. The story follows the diverse situations of the townsfolk over the course of a snowy winter night, revealing their struggles with, or realizations of love.

Now, let’s get to what matters here: was it good or not? Well to answer that question it’s important to realize that the conditions that satisfy the classification of good vs. bad theatre are intricate and blurred at best. To some, this play was an enthralling tale of love and its various forms, to others, a dull spectacle at best. Herein lies the difference in perception by the audience – in my opinion this was a beautiful play, and was exceptional in both aesthetics and performance, whereas others would complain about its lack of action, lack of extravagant set pieces, or lack of musical numbers. The best way to decide whether one would enjoy Almost, Maine is to simply go and see it – tickets are around ten dollars, or seven with an ASB card.

Cue actual review:

As soon as you step foot within the theater foyer, you’re greeted with the soft ambient light of a faux aurora borealis projected upon the wall behind a stand of small trees; immediately to the left of this pleasant display a wall with a list of actors – pictures included – stands with the title displayed proudly atop in sprawling script. This tranquil scene of simplicity and beauty is a motif that resonates throughout Almost, Maine.

Onto the play itself: (Beware, some spoilers ahead)

Almost, Maine itself is a bit of an enigma; due to its non-linear story and multitude of colorful characters the play defies easy classification as a romance, comedy, or drama –rather it is a mix of all three. And it’s because of this factor that the story is so different, so memorable compared to many modern romance or comedy flicks. The story doesn’t whisk the audience away to a fantasyland of unrealistic setting, no, instead it dives right into the human experience – namely the human experience of love. The story follows nineteen characters and their experiences with love on a wintery Maine night, with around eight overall scenes. No two characters share a similar story or experience, which is why the play is so fantastic in itself, and can appeal to a variety of people.

Now,  someone may ask “how does this make the story fantastic? That plot just sounds confusing” well, truth be told it is slightly confusing to follow, and many stories are left in cliffhangers – leaving the audience to complete the resolution for themselves. What makes Almost, Maine great is that every person, young or old, will find some sort of connection with at least one characters during the play. The different perspectives offered by the various characters in the play offer different perspectives on love that will resonate with the audience.

Almost, Maine isn’t afraid to get its hands dirty, to delve into traditionally forbidden territory and create something with a powerful impact on the audience. And it does this in perfect stride, mixing romance and comedy – at some times pretty raunchy – perfectly. An example of this is the scene where two lifelong friends, both gruff, outdoorsy fellows, realize that their bond extends past just a friendship that they’ve had since childhood, that there is something more there. It’s the fact that Almost, Maine breaks new ground – at least in theater – on the perspective of love and it’s various forms that makes it such a worthwhile play to see, as well as addressing some of the stigmas that come with ‘forbidden love’. One won’t be presented a romanced fairy tale with Prince Charming and the princess who swoons at his every word. Instead, one is shown the real –albeit dramatized- connections that people make with each-other on a day to day basis.

Aside from the story itself, the performances by each of the actors are phenomenal. Many of the kids here really seem to blossom into their roles, and really add a personal touch to the characters that makes the play that much more enjoyable. Meghan O’Hara, Jack Rogers, and Jacy Levitt are a few examples of students who I’ve seen really come into their own during this performance. Their ability to adapt to difficult or off-beat roles has helped attribute to the success of this play as a whole overall.  Overall, every single performer in Almost, Maine did a fantastic job playing their characters.

Now, that’s not to say that the play is perfect, it’s not – no play is. There are some definite issues with things such as a few minor technical hoopla’s that took away from the immersion. However, the crew in charge of keeping the show on track did a fantastic job, with quick and quiet transitions between scenes.

Truth be told, this play isn’t for everyone. It won’t pander to the masses with flashy set pieces or explosive musical numbers, and relative to other plays such as The Diary of Anne Frank which was performed last year, it progresses at a much slower pace.

But those minor issues pale in comparison to how great Almost, Maine is. It’s a play that, through a mixture of sentimental moments and witty commentary, will make you laugh, make you relate, and maybe even make you cry if you’re the extra sensitive type. Almost, Maine is definitely one of the best shows to come through Arlington High School, and any lover of theatre will enjoy this play immensely

9/10, good job cast & crew of AHS Drama.