“Almost, Maine” cast talks about the show, opening Friday, Nov. 1
Warwick Valley High School Drama Club invites you to a heartwarming night of great theater with the first production of “Almost, Maine” on the school stage.
Comprised of nine individual vignettes, John Cariani’s romantic comedy “Almost, Maine” has been the most popular production for high schools in this past decade. Almost, Maine’s residents never got organized. That’s why they’re just Almost. Under wintry starry skies, and the bewitching northern lights, they find themselves falling in and out of love, in the strangest ways.
In the words of the cast…
Senior Jonah Bowen, a seasoned actor and familiar face on the WVHS stage, is cast in two of the vignettes. “This show is so philosophical, so full of hidden meanings that after eight rehearsals I’m still noticing new motifs and picking up on new subtleties,” Jonah said. “It’s very clever writing and there are lots of aha moments. It’s also very relevant to today. Love is at the center, and everyone needs love and can relate to it.”
Sophomore Erin Eicher is playing a waitress. “I love the show’s metaphors and deeper meanings,” Erin said. “We didn’t realize many of them when we were first reading our scripts, but once we got on stage, Mr. DiLeo helped us pick up on all the references.” On her second year with the Drama Club, Erin also appreciates the range of opportunities created by show’s independent vignettes. “The various plays within the play allow for more students to play a big role and explore different characters and types of acting.”
Junior Ellie Hanson has been training as an actor, singer and dancer since the age of five. “This show is immersive literacy,” Ellie said. “Literary elements are so prevalent, they are the bulk of the show. Your 10th-grade English essay could be all about this show. And everybody can understand it and relate to it on some level, which is really good.”
Ellie’s outgoing and loquacious personality consistently finds her typecast in comedic roles, but in this production she plays a broken-hearted character who happens upon a new romantic interest. “I couldn’t relate to that side of her experience, but we share a love of fun facts and trivia, and that’s how I connected with her.” But perhaps the most indelible of Ellie’s acting milestones in “Almost, Maine” is her first stage kiss.
Freshman Patrick Liszewski has been acting since his elementary years but expects this show will leave a lasting impression. “Every scene is its own mini show with lots of symbolism and it’s fun to analyze it,” Patrick said. He’s playing Steve, a young man who can’t feel pain—until a most gentle gesture awakens his feelings. “Ultimately the show is about love and relationships, and it becomes memorable once you see it.”
Behind the scenes
Returning to direct the production is club advisor, Nick DiLeo, with Donna Nestor as producer. The sets are constructed by WVHS set design class under the coordination of art teacher Rocco Manno. The cast involves nineteen actors, from freshmen to seniors, with another twenty students serving as the stage crew.
Performances
- Friday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 2, at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Tickets and information
- $8 for general admission
- $6.00 for senior citizens.
No advance tickets will be sold for this production; instead, the Club’s box office team will be available one hour before each scheduled curtain time to sell tickets. If residents have a question, they may contact the Club at 987-3050, voicemail box #22500, or via email at wvhsdramaclub@wvcsd.org.