Reviews: Almost, Maine at Justice HS
Written by Bonna Koo of Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology
Snow drifts through the dim atmosphere as dazzling lights illuminate the space. Like a shaken snow globe, soft colors and acoustic tunes swirl together, seamlessly connecting each vignette. The blizzard subsides as a new wintry wonderland reveals itself. Don't forget your winter coat and snow boots, for the adventure of "Almost, Maine" at Justice High School is about to unfold.
A series of contrasting vignettes, "Almost, Maine" by John Cariani premiered in 2004 and has quickly become a beloved high school theater staple. The play grapples with different manifestations of love, whether quirky or heartbreaking, and how it develops over time. Each of the nine pairs trek through misunderstandings and realizations, expanding on different aspects of the mysterious force known as love.
Among the standout performances, Sofi Hemmens as Hope shone on stage. With fidgeting hands and planted posture, their bright, nervous ramblings drove their scene, endearingly displaying all the confidence of someone who traveled across the world for her high school sweetheart. Dictating clearly through jumbled confessions, Hemmens balanced a sophisticated poise and uncertain naivety with awkward giggles and nervous glances. Hemmens visibly flowed through Hope's emotions as she reached her moment of realization, displaying her inner turmoil in every movement.
Embodying the clumsy comfort of loving someone you've known for a long time were Grace Goldstein and Elle Fase as Deena and Shelly. The pair perfectly contrasted each other, with Goldstein's quick remarks balanced by Fase's relaxed vocal tone. Their conversations flowed naturally, with rapid interjections and comfortable pauses reflecting the mannerisms of a long-lasting friendship. Fase articulated Deena's tender progression with intentionally stilted deliveries and stance, establishing the adorable awkwardness of love. Goldstein's Shelly rushed past Deena's hesitance, her realization unfolding in bursts of energy, dynamic expressions, and quick-witted remarks. From comfortable clinks of beer to beautifully sincere reaching of hands, Goldestein and Fase invigorated warmth with excellently timed comedy and affection.
Enveloping each story was the charming, picturesque set by Lucas Phinney. Embellished with a glittering archway that reflected the colorful northern lights, the set skillfully mimicked a snow globe, emphasizing its winter charm with a curtain of snow at the stage's edge. By framing the show through a semicircular window, the set established an intimate, homely atmosphere, with each scene feeling like a quiet opening into each couple's lives. The lighting by Chloé Bernasconi-Niño only strengthened this wondrous background with masterfully blended colors and poignant tinges of hue. Whether the ingenious "shooting star" of light flashed through the audience or the symbolic splashes of pink and orange against contrasting blue, the lighting adorned every moment of realization and shift in emotion. The aurora, a dazzling fusion of green, pink, and blue, crowned each resolution with breathtaking beauty. Its luminous glow united the town’s characters, symbolizing the play’s emotional core.
A flurry of laughs, longing, and love, Justice High School's "Almost, Maine" tackled the difficult realities and whimsical highs of affection in all forms, revealing that true love can be found everywhere we look.
Written by Rebecca Weingast of Lake Braddock Secondary School
Snowflakes cascade down into a snow globe. A lone street lamp hugs an open bench in a pool of warm light, inviting a visitor, or two. Welcome to "Almost, Maine" at Justice High School.
Premiering in 2004, "Almost, Maine" by John Cariani captivated audiences across the world and is now one of the most well-known and produced plays of the twenty-first century. The play takes place in the quaint unofficial town of Almost. Consisting of nine vignettes, the story showcases the ordinary lives of Mainers in the ten minutes leading up to the northern lights. The complexity of love establishes the throughline for each story, as new bonds are formed and old ones fizzle out.
Longstanding regret looms in the air as Hope (Sofi Hemmens) returns to the doorstep of a former lover to finally answer a long-ago proposal, but the door is opened by an unknown Man (Jason Gonzalez-Canales). Hemmens expertly emphasized the consonants in their diction to drive through long sections of fast text to formulate an exasperated tone. This was complemented by Hemmens's recurring nervous giggle and intentional fidgety hands to reflect the character's conflicting emotions. Gonzalez-Canales provided a stark contrast through a grounded and caring demeanor. Through soft speech and careful movements, Gonzalez-Canales carried the story of a hopeless man beautifully. Hemmens and Gonzalez-Canales’s careful listening and emotional depth heightened the realization that the life they had once envisioned together was nothing more than fiction.
With a shake of a snow globe, a new connection is highlighted, with love blooming from a surprise ironing board attack. Marvalyn (Abby Leegwater) and Steve (Joseph Hepperle) were a charming duo as they navigated self-reflection and unexpected emotions together. Leegwater's frantic movements followed by sudden emotional and physical closeness revealed the character's instincts to heal and cravings for a healthy connection. Hepperle reflected the character's trauma response with a steady matter-of-fact delivery to show how lack of feeling pain has warped the character's ability to convey emotion. Leegwater and Hepperle struck a delightful balance between a highly reactive character and a retrospective character, helping the other's self-discovery.
The technical elements transformed the auditorium into an ordinary town full of love. Lucas Phinney's set skillfully reflected the concept of viewing this world through a snow globe. Phinney built a grand arch, the inner rim was layered with light pink blending into a deep blue, effectively creating the reflection of a glass dome and foreshadowing the northern lights. The lighting, designed by Chloé Bernasconi-Niño, painted both the brilliant night sky and the raw emotion of this show masterfully. Bernasconi-Niño threaded in high color contrast to the neutral tones of a typical Maine wardrobe, such as a slow fade from pink to the colors of the lesbian pride flag as Deena (Grace Goldstein) and Shelly (Ella Fase) realize their true feelings. In heart-wrenching or mending moments, the lights would iris in, creating a more intimate world. Streaks of green appear on a blue cyclorama, with flashes of fuchsia interspersing into the magical night, creating the breathtaking unifying m
oment of the northern lights.
The snow begins to dissipate as the final shake of the snow globe leads to the same bench, this time, occupied by two lovers. Justice High School's "Almost, Maine" teaches that, regardless of happiness or pain, love is alive in every single person.