From October 24-26, Aves Theatre presented the play, “Almost, Maine.” The show takes place outside of Maine in a region that’s unrecognized, hence the title.
For the fall show, “Almost, Maine,” rehearsals started in the classroom. The play has an extremely small cast of only 17 people, making it easy for the cast to bond and work together, which is vital for a show that is all about romance and love. “I loved being able to hang out with everyone, especially my scene partner,” says Sam Broxterman, 10. From learning lines to bonding with scene partners to studying acting techniques, the show was put together in nearly two months. However, the cast’s involvement with the show extends beyond acting. The process to reach the opening night of a show is far from simple.
Aves Theatre students help to build the magnificent sets found in every show. They work alongside a crew of students either during class or after school to construct, paint, and assemble the scenery and objects used in the show. “My favorite part of the rehearsal process was painting all of the trees in the background because they turned out really pretty with the snow, even though it took three hours,” says Chloe Robinson, 10. Although set construction is often time-consuming, everyone has a good time playing a part in creating a beautiful set.
Eventually, the show starts inching closer and closer to opening. Tech week starts when the crew of the show is introduced to their jobs and begin working simultaneously with the cast. There are countless crew jobs and each role is vital to a successful show, such as lighting, follow-spots,—who are in charge of lighting the actors manually—sound, backstage managers, and individuals who put their creative interests into costumes and props. In “Almost, Maine,” there are roughly 20 people in the crew working to make the show run steadily behind the scenes.
Every actor has a funny story to tell about their favorite moments in rehearsals. “My favorite part of rehearsing was doing lunges and squats in the hallways in preparation to fall on my butt over and over on stage, while students would stare at me,” says Grace Howard, 11. Another fun memory of the show was “tossing one of the prop balloons up with a few cast members and making sure it never hit the ground backstage” said Emory Cornett, 12. Moreover, “I enjoyed building a doohickey (gadget) with Lev for the show,” said Bektur Janybek, 10.
Rehearsals get longer and anticipation of opening night increases as the show progresses to perfection. The week of the show, pictures are taken of the cast to be sold during the play, which requires the addition of makeup and other touch ups. Room 99 lies underneath the stage where actors get their microphones on, get into costume, and do their makeup and hair. The smell of hairspray encapsulates the room as actors get ready to take pictures of the show during a final run through. “It was fun getting to share makeup with all the girls and talk about silly things during mic check,” says Howard.
As the curtains close on the final show, the cast celebrates with festivities, embracing bittersweet feelings of the show’s closing. All in all, “Almost, Maine” was an extremely memorable and fun show that the cast and crew will always treasure.
