On Friday, Feb. 9, at 7:00 p.m. I entered the SCHS theater to watch “Almost, Maine,” a romantic comedy put on by the drama department. After receiving a card with information about the show and the actors, I found my seat next to my friends, ready to watch the play.
Calm instrumental music played while family and friends entered the theater. As the lights dimmed, co-director, senior Andrew Chandra, stepped on stage to welcome the crowd and introduce the play. With excitement and humor, Chandra expressed gratitude toward his actors, stage crew and co-director, drama teacher Angelo Reyes.
Set in the fictional town of Almost, Maine, residents find their way through the complexities of love. Blending humor and heart through a set of vignettes, the play introduces many characters who each have their own relationships and difficulties.
One of the vignettes explores the feelings of pain in love and life. One of the actors cannot feel physical pain, so she keeps a list of items that may be too dangerous to occur. The other actor helps her see that not all pain is obvious, in the forms of a bruise or a rash – sometimes, it is hidden inside. The two express how experiencing pain is an important part of life because it helps people learn and adapt in the relationships they share with others.
Another vignette explores the way love is shared between couples, in all forms, big and small. Ready to break up with her boyfriend of 11 years, one of the actors walks on stage with large bags filled with what she claims to be “all the love you gave me.” When the girl asks her boyfriend to give back all the love she gives him, he brings out a small palm sized bag. She immediately questions this. What she finds inside is more than anything she could have asked for. Inside the bag is a ring, which teaches her that love is not always about the size, but more about the value of things personal and meaningful.
With talented actors and an efficient stage crew, the drama department students put on a show that was flawless in all aspects: script, emotion and backdrops. The applause and laughter from the audience showed the engagement that the actors had with the crowd. With a theme that is relatable to anyone in the audience, the play taught important lessons on love and healthy relationships.
“Almost, Maine” showed in the SCHS theater only on Feb. 8, 9 and 10. Although the comedy throughout the play made it seem as a lively and easy-to-watch production, the morals that were taught in the story were significant. Loss, healthy relationships and understanding one’s feelings are all central ideas discussed in the play, leaving the audience with something to keep in their mind and in their hearts.