A sign-up sheet is posted in the halls of D101, and the thespians know that it’s time. Soon after the notice comes auditions, callbacks, tech meetings and rehearsals. The fall season of theater has begun, and it starts with the 2018 fall play Almost, Maine.

Even among theater-lovers, Almost, Maine is a production that isn’t familiar to many. When the 2018-2019 theater season was revealed to students last spring, the announcement of the play came as a surprise.

“I really wasn’t expecting it,” said Katie Galletti, a junior who has been involved in theater since her freshman year. “I had never heard of it before, and it seemed kind of weird that they would choose a show like that.”

The irony though, is that Almost, Maine is popular in the broader theater community.. In fact, it’s ranked the number one high school play in America, according to the Educational Theatre Association’s 2018 survey. The original skepticism shown towards the play upon its opening in 2006 was turned around in later years as popularity grew.

According to Dramatists Play Service, who own the rights to Almost, Maine, there have been almost 3,000 productions of the play in the United States and Canada since 2008. In comparison, the most popular 2014-2015 production, Christopher Durang’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, had a total of 27 productions.

The financial results of the play have not been officially released, but it is estimated that licensing fees have exceeded $1 million.

The financial and social success of Almost, Maine among its high school audience is no surprise, given the nature of the show. The play consists of nine short scenes that explore the themes of love and loss on a midwinter’s night in the remote, almost nonexistent town of Almost, Maine. Each scene focuses on a different couple as they work through issues they face with themselves and each other as they navigate through their romantic life. The unique way the scenes are formed and brought together is captivating to not only an audience, but the company putting on the show.

Mrs. Angela Smithhisler, the fall play’s director, spoke of her experience with the play and what about it drew her attention.

“The script is brilliant,” said Smithhisler. “Metaphors, down-to-earth language… it just portrays regular people falling in love, and I think that can be very relatable to a high school audience.”

The nature of Almost, Maine as a romantic comedy gives an opportunity to bring the play closer to high school. The characters can effortlessly be applied to a high school setting.

“It’s not really age specific,” said Smithhisler. “It can be teenagers falling in love, for that matter.”

Some of the actors themselves have expressed their love for the show they’re performing. Patricia Hatley, who plays Marci in the fall play, explained how she felt the romance portrayed in Almost, Maine is topical to a high school audience.

“In high school, some people give dating a try,” said Hatley. “I feel as if students wouldn’t face problems as intense as the characters in the show, but that doesn’t limit relationships to any kind of problems.”

In Hatley’s scene, her character Marci is attempting to deal with a lack of communication between her and her husband, Phil. It’s an issue that makes for not only an interesting scenario, but also a real-life approach to portraying romance.

“It’s a truly heart-wrenching scene as you feel the emotions between this couple and watch as their struggles unfold on the stage.” said Hatley.

Despite its label as a romantic comedy, Almost, Maine is a fresh and interesting take on fictional romance. Most fictional works with a focus on romance place a heavy emphasis on drama and theatrics, which can skew a viewer’s perception of how relationships work in the real world. Almost, Maine, on the other hand, is commended for the realism it portrays in the relationships the play focuses on. This is one of student director Maggie Clugston’s favorite parts of the show.  She is directing with Presley Dougherty during this fall season.

“Once you really start looking into it, you see just how much like real life it is,” said Clugston. “The characters in the show are just people dealing with real, human issues. They aren’t idolized or sugar-coated, they just are.”

Representation is another notable part of the production. Each scene introduces a new couple with new characteristics, including LGBTQ characters. There’s a focus on various different kinds of people and the struggles they face, which was something that drew Smithhisler towards the show.

“I figured it was a really good representative play to enlighten Linganore and show that we are inclusive. We are one small town; we are Almost, Maine.” said Smithhisler.

The production of Almost, Maine runs from November 1-3, with shows at 7:00 PM. Tickets are available to purchase on showtix4u.com.

The cast list was posted on September 13. Look for these people in the production this November, as well as the leaders behind the scenes.

Cast

Pete: Amber Wenttang

Ginette: Bryn Kerney

East: Beau Cameron

Glory: Gabby North

Jimmy: Rowan Gallagher

Sandrine: Emma Davis

Marvalyn: Mackenzie Berry

Steve: Tommy French

Gayle: Macy Armagost

Lendall: J.D. VanDine

Deena: Katie Lehman

Shelly: Natalie Blue

Phil: Josh Todd

Marci: Patricia Hatley

Hope: Eilis McCormick

Man (Daniel): Ricky Guariglia

Rhonda: Julia Lizmi

Dave: Jacob Blue

Crew

Director: Mrs. Angela Smithhisler

Student Directors: Maggie Clugston, Presley Dougherty

Stage Manager: Hanna Dufresne