By Devon Armor
The 27 members of Maryland Ghostlight Company heard thunderous applause during their final bows as the lights rose over a sold-out crowd, giving a standing ovation for their performance of “Almost, Maine” at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.
John Cariani’s romantic comedy play ran on March 28 and 29 and consisted of nine scenes, each of which happens simultaneously during one night in the play’s namesake fictional town of Almost, Maine. Each scene explored a different stage of love in a witty and unexpected way.
The show is Maryland Ghostlight Company’s sixth performance since joining the campus in 2023. The University of Maryland student-produced play company focuses on performing contemporary works of theater.
“I thought it was really funny and also really sweet sometimes. I really liked that,” said Jenna Weingard, a sophomore environmental science and policy major.
Each scene provided a different perspective on love, as somber stories of heartbreak and lost loves contrasted with first meeting stories at a bar where “you drink free if you’re sad.”
“[The scenes are] either, like, heart crushing or, like, you’re laughing. You’re laughing until your stomach hurts,” said junior stage manager and psychology and criminology major Rushi Jain.
Chris Yeung, a sophomore information science major, directed the student-run production. The production had 20 roles and eight actors, meaning each cast member took on multiple roles throughout the production.
“I think the difference is just not just the way I enter the scene, but also the clothes I wear. I love costumes for giving me the ability to have a say in what I’m wearing, so then when I wear those clothes, I’m, like, ok, I know who I am,” said sophomore finance and criminology major Gia Kaur, who plays characters Hope and Lendall.
“Almost, Maine” ran three shows in The Clarice’s Cafritz Foundation Theatre. Each show ran for two hours including an intermission. A constant background of pine trees reminded audiences that the show takes place in northern Maine, but set pieces changed from a high-top table to a park bench to a beer cooler in order to represent the constantly changing stories.
Most scenes involved only two actors, which required constant collaboration and communication between partners who had often not worked in such a way before.
“It’s always nerve-wracking to do a new show with people I don’t know. So all of us being able to make mistakes together, and then grow together, is a lot of fun,” Kaur said.
The small team and intimate theater highlighted the skill set and emotion of the actors, but also allowed them to become closer as they developed the show.
“My favorite moment was always the last production meeting, when everyone is friends and together, and being able to hand out cards to everyone,” said junior computer science major and producer Jack Campbell. “It’s just such a joyful moment of, like, we’ve made this show ready to go on stage.”
Featured Image: Brant Miller and Finn Hintermister perform scene five in “Almost, Maine” on March 28. Photo courtesy of Jack Campbell.