Falls Church High Students Put on 'Almost, Maine'

The Northern Lights flickered and swooped in the sky above, as hearts were lost, found, broken, and mended in Falls Church High School’s production of “Almost, Maine.”

Written by John Carinari, this romantic comedy opened at the Portland Stage Company in Portland, Maine in 2004. The play is a series of nine short vignettes—snapshots of moments in time where love rears its fickle head in the small town of Almost, which technically isn’t a town at all. The story cycles its way through tales of broken hearts and first loves, each character impacting the others in some small way.

One standout actor among many was Boris Mewborn in the roles of Randy, a man who quite literally falls in love, and Dave, who shows how love can show itself in unexpected ways. Mewborn was completely convincing in both of the roles, acting genuinely and showing commitment to both characters. Emily McGowen drew laughter as Rhonda, a woman who finds herself in love with Dave. Each actor was committed to their role and did not break character a single time.

Melanie Reuter was excellent as Marci, a Cinderella who simply isn’t having fun any more. Reuter played her character with energy and commitment, drawing gasps and laughs from the audience. Other notable actors included Mark Zubaly as Lendall, who played opposite Catherine Kiesel (Gayle). Kiesal was sharp and snippy, though her character’s true sweet heart shone through her tough exterior. Zubaly was believably compassionate, patient, and kind, drawing sighs and a collective awww from the audience.

The technical aspect of the play was truly magnificent, particularly the run crew. Each of the seven members was dressed for the frigid Maine weather and even developed little love stories of their own in between scenes. The smooth scene changes were accompanied by music that perfectly evoked a quaint, small-town feel. Lighting by Jennifer Loch was spot-on, including receding car lights and a flickering image of the Northern lights projected onto a scrim. The set, designed by Stephanie Miller, predominately featured a house that was utilized to its fullest extent. Small details such as snow on a character’s jacket or frost in a window drew the audience in and made them feel as if they really were in Maine.

Overall, the energy of the actors built into the second act and finished with a bang. The members of the cast were committed to their multiple roles, and while some lacked definition of character, it was more than made up for by the peals of laughter from the audience.

Everything from mannerisms to music made the audience believe they were in an almost-town somewhere in Maine, where the snow crunched underfoot and love was in the air in Falls Church High School’s production of “Almost, Maine.”

- by Claire Seaton of Washington Lee High School

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