|
||
|
Disclaimer:
The reviewers' opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheatreLouisville.org. |
Reviews Almost, Maine Reviewed by Keith Waits Entire contents are copyright © 2009 Keith Waits. All rights reserved.
The play is set in a location, presumably fictional, called Almost, Maine. The community, not quite a town because, as one character states in the first scene, "...a town is organized and we never quite got organized," seems to be populated by a series of lonely, forlorn and sometimes heartbroken citizens who are defined by their eccentricities. Through a series of vignettes we watch as various combinations of men and women connect or miss connecting or become unconnected. So it is not really a play in the usual sense, since, with the exception of a framing device featuring two characters in voiceless interludes, we never see any of the characters outside of their individual scene of roughly ten minutes. The result is that the evening lacks any narrative momentum or deeper emotional resonance that might result from a developing story, and we must be content to skim along shallow waters. Fortunately, the eager cast of young actors provides enough charm and humor to deliver a solid evening's entertainment. Despite some inconsistency in the playing, they confidently find the laughs and some of the tenderness and melancholy contained in the superficial script. I especially liked Zack Hebert's sure-fire comic timing and slightly bitter edge as Jimmy in the vignette entitled "Sad and Glad", Tyler Dippold and Kristen Keller's nice interaction in "Getting It Back", and most winningly of all, the uproarious Emily West and Logan Hamsley in the finale, "Seeing The Thing". The most noticeable problem was that several times dialogue was spoken so fast that the delivery steamrollered over the potential of the lines for comic effect or pathos. For example, Erica Mohler was one of the strongest performances of the evening in "This Hurts", perfectly executing some delightful knockabout pratfalls with her capable partner, Aaron Johnson, but she was plagued by a knack for rushing some lines at breakneck speed so that the meaning was lost on the audience. But Tyson Wolfe and Heath Geiser made for perhaps the most suitably matched pair as two slightly misanthropic men commiserating on the difficulties of relationships with the women in their lives. They were patient and played off each other to good effect, allowing the lines to breath and find their full impact. The sets and costumes were nicely realized, and some simple but suggestive lighting effects helped to deliver the cold and lonesome far northeastern environment in fine fashion. This was my first visit to Floyd Central's theatre department, and I was fairly impressed with the work and energy evident onstage. I just wish the material had been strong enough to provide more challenge for both the cast and audience. The Almost, Maine cast includes Brandis DeWilligen, Danielle Collier, Zach Hebert, Tyler Dippold, Cassie Gutman, Jessica Kingery, Lindsay Richmer, Amanda Powers, Allie Ordonez, Summer Haynes, Erica Mohler, Alex Criss, Aaron Johnson, Tyler Dippold, Logan Hamsley, Kristen Keller, Madi Sorrels, Tyson Woolf, Heath Geiser, Houston Mills, Sarah Novak, Lillian Goebel, Abe Patrick, Irena Miralda, Rachel Sieg, Shelby Loop and Emily West. Some of the roles are shared and rotated between performances.
|
|