ATA Presents: “Almost, Maine”

By Camille Yost and Golda Fulmer

Last week, Advanced Theater Arts presented “Almost, Maine” by John Cariani. According to Dr. Tuin, “Students showed up big in our Little Theater” to support their outstanding performance. The play begins with the Prologue, starring Pete (Jack Gallagher) and Ginette (Eileen Obregon), a couple who have been together for a while. In this scene, Ginette expresses her love for Pete, who is a bit odd, and talks about how she loves being close to him. Pete, a typical boy said the wrong thing at the wrong time and confused Ginette. This seems to drive Ginette away, and Pete is left alone on the stage; however, in the Epilogue, the scene ends with Ginette understanding that Pete was also alluding to the fact that he also wanted to be closer to Ginette.

Gallagher does a fantastic job at portraying this character who is awkward and unsure of himself. This was one of the aspects that made the play such a success: the chemistry between all of the characters. The ATA students were fully committed to their roles, which made it feel as if they really were the characters they were portraying. Another thing that made this play so unique was how relatable it was. Whether you’re a teenager in high school or parents of many children, you can relate; as someone who has been in a long-term relationship, I felt everything the characters were feeling. I could understand the heartbreak and the amount of love they were feeling.

We laughed, we cried, and we felt a bit awkward (especially in Kelly Pham and Derek Zamudio’s scene where we weren’t quite sure if they were going to stop removing their clothes), and we felt every sensation the characters’ were undergoing.

 

 

Everything about “Almost, Maine” was truly outstanding. The symbolism in each scene, the chemistry between the actors and actresses, and the realistic and relatable stories made for a perfect play.

Last Friday, Dr. Tuin wrote about the play in his weekly Friday Reflection: “The play offered several intentionally awkward, painful, warm, funny, and thoughtful moments. The actors each brought their own unique perspective to the characters and they each committed fully to their roles. It was so fun to see the fruits of so much hard work that resulted in an impressive theater experience… I was so proud of our students and their commitment to this project, and I am grateful for Ms. Markley’s leadership. I felt like I went to a place far away for a couple hours the last two nights, and it was great to take that mental journey with our students.”

The ATA students did a phenomenal job under the direction of Ms. Markley. In my opinion, this was by far the best production I have seen from Tustin High’s Advanced Theater Arts program, and we are looking forward to their upcoming performances.

 

 

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