A note from the Director ...
I’ll be honest- I came across this play when searching for a musical last fall. There are statistics kept on the top-produced musicals and plays, and “Almost, Maine” has been the #1 produced play in High Schools since it was published in 2007. Why the popularity, what’s the draw?
So I read it. I was drawn in by the simple conversations, uncomplicated set, and intimate, raw emotions. I thought it would challenge the kids to immerse themselves in the exposed emotion of everyday people, and emotion that they had mostly witnessed in the world but had not experienced themselves. And that would be a challenge for me.
Another appeal was that this is essentially 11 one acts with enormous flexibility. We could open auditions to students who typically could not participate in the Fall Play due to sports schedules. Four of our actors are Fall Athletes, while most have a multitude of other school-related commitments. Many of our crew members have large commitments after school. Their work ethic and maturity have brought the Theatre Program to a whole new level and working on this production with them has been pure joy.
The students and creative team connected with these characters and their conflicts in amazing ways. From auditions, we have continued to uncover nuances and depth in the writing and extremely deliberate stage direction from the playwright. It is no easy task to take a relatively bare stage with just one other person and open your heart to an audience, and I am so very proud of this cast!
I would like to thank Stan, who spear-headed the build of our set, the lighting design and directed the scenes with Pete and Ginette. Thank you to Junior Xanna Bader, who approached me in August with an interest in learning more about the directing process. She took the lead in directing “This Hurts” and was our falling coach, and I think you will see how very effective this coaching was! She is respectful, hard-working, observant and very talented.
Thank you to student leads Claire Sullivan (Stage Manager), Mitchell Jacobs (Costumes) and Kate Eastland (Artistic Design) who shared their talent and professionalism with our cast and crew. And thanks to Sharron April, who within an hour took my ideas for the set and gave us a sketch to build upon.
Thank you to Dan Wyborney (did you know our Athletic Director also oversees Clubs?), Rob Scully, Lynda Conley, Rhonda Pisani and Amanda Morris for all the things big and small you do to support the Theatre Program at Souhegan.
But I want to especially thank our producer, Denise Jacobs. No one label could encompass the many things she does for me and this program, but when you look at the photo board, the playbill and the smooth running of the front of house, you will see many of her talents on display!
Finally, thank you to you, our audience. Thank you for attending, for supporting our students and Souhegan Theatre. We hope you find yourself touched and moved by this emotional show.
Jennifer
