I have never seen Almost Maine before, and I think going in blind was the best idea. I was as delighted as the rest of Baldwinsville Theatre Guild’s opening night audience with the results.
I know it’s unusual to mention set design right off the bat, but Drew Deapo, Kim Gideon and what looks to be half of the cast and possibly their friends and family, designed and painted a floating, spinning house rather like Dorothy’s small Kansas abode from the Wizard of Oz. It is a moveable structure with a single door that turns about to reveal either a front porch or the inside of a bar depending on the scene, and it smoothly crosses the stage in blackouts to give us some variety. Aside from benches, camp chairs and the occasional table, it is the only set piece. It never over-whelms the BTG stage, and the bustling crew and actors are KILLING it on their scene changes. They never miss a beat! Lighting designer Paula Pickreign manages some gorgeous lights across the plain white backdrop of the stage that change throughout the entire show.
Ok, now the show itself. Director Christine Spring assembles a fabulous ensemble cast of actors who turn in subtle, comedic and heart-warming performances that are each their own. In case you aren’t aware, Almost Maine is a series of vignettes. All the pieces take place in the town of Almost, Maine, and just about everyone seems to have a connection to everyone else, but there is no real plot here. In fact, everything we observe over the course of a brisk two hours, actually transpires in only about ten minutes!
I’m not going to talk about every single scene, but as many of the actors as possible and by proxy, the scenes they were in, and try not to spoil too much.
Lambros Alamond and August Samchisen bookend the show. The two barely speak, but it’s clear from their painfully shy body language to their often-hysterical faces (especially Lambros) that love is in that cold air. If only they could figure out how to express it!
This is the first time I have seen Lauren Hopkins on stage (she is usually playing a BOSS backstage!) and she was simply adorable. As a hiker named Glory who surprises a repairman on his front lawn, she is an irresistible bundle of energy that can’t be ignored. Or kicked out. And dear East (played by the ever-genuine Marshall Pokrentowski) simply can’t help himself. Marshall has another scene in the show worth mentioning but I’ll just say here, as an actor this guy is super likeable and genuine on stage. He has a cool smoothness about him that makes you feel like he isn’t really acting.
“Sad and Glad” was one of my favorite pieces of the night. If you’ve ever seen the movie Home for the Holidays with Holly Hunter, there is a scene in it that is just like this one. Nolan Hogenboom is brilliantly miserable as he catches his ex-girlfriend (played perfectly by Amy Prieto) out with “the girls” for a bachelorette party. His night only worsens when he finds outs it is HER party, and she is the one getting married! Hogenboom manages to pull off just the right level of disappointment in his ex without being too mean, while simultaneously cracking us up with his self-deprecating attitude.
Hopkins shows up again, this time as Marvalyn a lady with an ironing board who repeatedly hits Steve (played by Thomas Tong) in the back and knocking him off his bench. Steve strikes me as slightly neurodiverse, and Tong walked this line with a careful subtlety that I really appreciated. Steve manages to be sweet and funny and caring without being a caricature. If you pay attention, you can catch some really great moments happening in this scene.
Tong also has a scene in act 2 playing Dave opposite Meara Mosny who plays Rhonda, a girl who looks like she might be able to break Dave in half. I do not know who had more fun with this scene: the actors, the director or the costumer! I cannot spoil this one! But I think it was the audience favorite the night I was there.
Aubrey Panek appeared three times on opening night (at some performances she will only appear twice.) And when I heard her voice coming from offstage, I sat up straight in my seat. Then when she appeared, dragging multiple giant red Santa sacks onto the stage, breathless, annoyed, flustered (As Marshall Pokrentowski looked on) I started to laugh. So did the rest of the audience. She had barely done anything, barely said anything, but I was already laughing. And in the next 10 minutes of dialogue, Aubrey reminded me of how much I miss seeing her onstage. Now, fair warning, Aubrey is my friend, I’ve known her for a long time, and so the following is going to appear biased. She might even be embarrassed by it. But I don’t care. As I’ve said before, I’m not a professional. This is a blog, not a column. There is a presence that Aubrey has, an awareness of what is happening around her. She covers every space, she doesn’t miss a beat or an opportunity, she fills the entire area, she is listening, reacting. She is holding for the laugh, living in the moment, giving her fellow actor their second to respond. It is a treat to watch, and I hope everyone, onstage and in the crowd enjoyed it as much as I did.
Apologies to any actor I neglected to mention! You were all very good. What a wonderful start to the fall season.
Almost Maine plays for 3 more performances this coming weekend October 20, 21 and 22.
