Cast and crew have been working hard to bring this show to TJ’s stage. photo by Harper Skurky-Thomas
TJ’s theatre department is back onstage for a production of Almost, Maine.
This year’s fall play is almost upon us. After two excellent performances last year, Thomas Jefferson’s theatre cast and crew are putting on Almost, Maine, a romantic comedy play that takes place in a fictional town in Maine. Getting this play ready to perform has required months of work. With rehearsals starting in early October, the cast and crew have been in the building almost every day memorizing lines, playing out scenes, and honing their skills.
Almost, Maine follows several love stories over the course of the play. Unlike other shows, however, it doesn’t have one central plot. “This is the first play [we’ve done at TJ] where there’s been vignettes, which means each scene is its own separate, contained story as opposed to following the same few characters as the plot develops over an hour or two hours,” says TJ theatre teacher and director Andre Moss. Each scene can stand on its own and each character plays an equal role in the story. This means the cast selection is more important than ever, as each person has to nail their part to make the play cohesive.
Since each character has about the same amount of screentime, every actor has to work equally as hard. Actors have been rehearsing for weeks to get everything right, which can be stressful. However, the bonds actors form while putting on a show can be lifelong. “I feel like I’m at my happiest when I’m up on stage,” says sophomore Annabelle Geib, who plays the character Ginnette. “The relationship I have with some of these people…I would literally laugh and cry for hours with them.” With the format of Almost, Maine, each actor has their own chance to shine.
While the actors have to bring the characters to life, making the setting feel real is the job of the props and set departments. This year, they will be using a projector system for backgrounds, transitions, and scene titles. This will make it a little easier on the set crew without sacrificing quality, giving them more time to focus on smaller props that are important to the storyline. While the prop and set crews have all hands on deck to help put the show together, TJ’s costume department is down to only a handful of people. “It is frightening,” says costume lead and junior Amelia Danielson, “This is my first time doing costume and now I’m costume lead, so it’s a lot.” However, the costume team has been working hard to bring the costumes and props to life. “[It’s] good because it lets me be creative.” The costumes play a huge role in establishing the characters and setting, so getting them right is important.
Even with all the hard work from cast and crew, the show still needs its director to tie everything together. “My favorite part about directing is taking something that’s two dimensional and on the page— it’s just words—and then all of a sudden it pops up and becomes 3D.” says Moss. “Yes, I’m the director, but it’s also everything you see onstage is not all me. It’s the combination of 100 people’s work that comes together in this beautiful way. It’s almost like conducting an orchestra and the collaboration is really exciting.”
Almost, Maine will be shown on November 14th, 15th, and 16th at 7 p.m. at Thomas Jefferson High School’s auditorium. There is also a matinee performance at 2 p.m. on the 16th. “It’s a very heartfelt, lighthearted, fun show to watch,” said Moss. “You’re gonna feel better after you leave than when you come in.” Stay tuned to the Spartan Edition to see how to buy tickets!
