The MHS Theater Department performed “Almost, Maine” for this year’s fall production. “Almost, Maine” reveals both the upside and downside of love through a series of short stories about citizens of a small town called “Almost, Maine” and the relationships that develop between them.
Since the play was broken down into different short stories, it stood out from the previous MHS theater productions that I have watched which have a single, constant plot line. Introducing new characters, relationships, and situations kept the play interesting and lively. I commend the small cast for being able to transition into new characters scene after scene, although I did find myself getting confused between characters once or twice during the play.
This year’s fall production was not a musical, but the musical score was notable. When the audience was being seated before the play had begun and during the intermission, songs such as “Can’t Help Falling in Love” covered by Frank Sinatra, played in the background and made me feel sentimental. The soundtrack complimented and set the mood for the romantic comedy. In addition, I had no problem hearing the actors and actresses on stage. They were able to project their voices and enunciate clearly, helping me concentrate on the production rather than the crunching of chip bags I would be constantly distracted to at previous productions. Overall, the sounds on stage during the play were consistent and deserve praise.
The use of green, blue, and purple colored lights throughout the play to resemble the northern lights created a captivating glow on stage. Set against a background of trees and a starry night sky, the lights really helped to create the appropriate atmosphere. In other scenes, smaller details such as a restaurant booth and artificial snow were nice touches that really helped me gain a greater sense of the environment and made the stage look impressive.
I was most impressed by the fact that for the majority of the cast, “Almost, Maine” was their debut. Despite having attended the opening night on Thursday, the actors and actresses did not seem nervous and were well rehearsed. They kept the crowd constantly entertained, and the theater was filled with laughter and shouting more than any other time I attended an MHS Theater production.
All of the elements—the script, the soundtrack, lighting, and cast—worked together to create a cohesive, beautiful, and entertaining play that was unlike any other I had attended at MHS. Overall, “Almost, Maine” was a great production that definitely gets me excited for the Spring production.