Audiences fall in love with the production, “Almost, Maine”
This past weekend, the NPHS theater department finished the year strong with a successful run of the anthology play, “Almost, Maine.” The spring play featured several mini scenes, each with a completely different set, situation and characters, working together to expose the beautiful and harsh realities of falling in and out of love.
Jenna Kupetsky, junior, played Glory in the play and felt that the “Almost Maine ‘’ was a unique production, creating a sharp contrast to the extravagant musical “Mamma Mia!” that was performed this past fall. “[The play] portrays human life, just day to day life, and it doesn’t really feel all superficial,” Kupetsky said. Kupetsky was excited to perform, “And I’m just really happy and excited to see all of our work kind of coming to fruition” Kupetsky said.
Kaely McCurdy, senior, stage managed and acted in the production. There are many duties involved in each job for McCurdy, including memorizing many lines of dialogue for the scene. “We tell all the actors and the technicians when to go, when to move and how to get items on and off. We just, really organize things backstage,” McCurdy said. McCurdy played Marvelyn in the play, a character who comes across a man in the laundry room of the boarding house she is staying in. Marvelyn accidentally hits him in the head with the ironing board, setting off a conversion and revealing that the man has a rare peculiarity: he can’t feel pain. “There’s not a good ending to many of the scenes, I think that’s supposed to be the point. So going in, we want the audience to be able to see themselves in the people up on stage,” McCurdy said.
Sylvia Key, senior and head stage manager, led the department of over 50 to a successful run of “Almost, Maine.” “My favorite part about the job is seeing the final result because you work so hard on a show for three months, and then you finally get to see it all come together,” Key said. Key’s hard work as head stage manager ensured that each part of the production was pulled off seamlessly. “ I was surprised how smooth it went, especially because we added so many new elements just the day before,” Key said. Key’s work ensured that the five performances of “Almost, Maine” went off without a flaw.
With five shows in total, the theater department wrapped up its year of mainstage productions with a unique play that transported its audience to the town of Almost, Maine. “It feels like you’re getting a peek into someone’s genuine life. It doesn’t feel like it’s all made up or that it’s unrealistic,” Kupetsky said.
