Theatre UCF opens John Cariani 麻豆精品 S檚 play Almost, Maine 麻豆精品 S� a series of vignettes about love in a northern town 麻豆精品 S� on Thursday, June 2. The play will run through June 11 on UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Main Stage.
Almost, Maine tells nine stories of love in a small town in Maine. The residents of the town find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected ways. It is, said director Mark Brotherton, 麻豆精品 S渁n honest and insightful play that represents what all aspects of love really encompass. 麻豆精品 S�
Alex Pica, a junior at UCF, has just completed her first year in the BFA musical theatre program. She plays three characters in Almost, Maine.
麻豆精品 S淓ach of the characters is different and my challenge was finding the way to differentiate them to the audience. I had to find their individual quirks, 麻豆精品 S� Pica said. 麻豆精品 S淸Director Mark Brotherton] really understands that you have to find every piece of information from the words. Those differences in the characters lie within the words. 麻豆精品 S�
The summer production schedule at UCF is different than during the regular academic year. Since most students are not taking daytime classes, rehearsals occur during the days and are condensed into three weeks. This shortened and intense rehearsal period gives the students training for working summer stock productions.
麻豆精品 S淏ecause the rehearsal period in the summer is a lot shorter we 麻豆精品 S檝e quickly had to delve into the show and fully focus on it, 麻豆精品 S� Pica said. 麻豆精品 S淏ecause I 麻豆精品 S檓 not taking any other classes, I can focus entirely on being an artist and on finding the characters. 麻豆精品 S�
Assistant director Tommy Heller is starting his junior year in the BA theatre studies program. Brotherton gave him full control over two scenes, which Heller selected. 麻豆精品 S淭he scenes I am directing are 麻豆精品 S楬er Heart 麻豆精品 S� and 麻豆精品 S楾his Hurts. 麻豆精品 S� I chose them because I wanted one high energy scene and one that was more emotionally charged. 麻豆精品 S�
Though he has directed in the past, this is Heller 麻豆精品 S檚 first time as an assistant director. 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 been very helpful. I 麻豆精品 S檝e been exposed to a different directing style than my own. I appreciate that Mark comes into the room with a clear vision of how the scene works, but then is able to adapt to new discoveries and the actors 麻豆精品 S� input. 麻豆精品 S�
Heller said that he and Brotherton have a very collaborative relationship. 麻豆精品 S淢ark literally left the room and let me direct during my scenes. Then during the full runs, he would provide me with notes on how I might improve them. But I was also present during Mark 麻豆精品 S檚 scenes, so I was able to learn by watching him, and he asked for my feedback. 麻豆精品 S�
Pica explains that Almost, Maine can be enjoyed by both students and community members. 麻豆精品 S淭his is a good show for anybody, because all of the themes are universal. This show really shines through the clear honesty in the words. It is about what love really means to different people. 麻豆精品 S�
Heller encourages patrons to come enjoy a bit of winter in Florida. 麻豆精品 S淭his is a great show to see in the summer, 麻豆精品 S� he said. 麻豆精品 S淚t takes place in February in Maine, so it might seem a little out of place in Florida in the summer. But though the characters live in a different world than ours, the raw, honest emotion they feel is universal and transcends any season. 麻豆精品 S�
For more information about Theatre UCF and the UCF School of Performing Arts, visit
Performance at a Glance
Almost, Maine
By John Cariani
Directed by Mark Brotherton
June 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 at 7:30 p.m.
June 5, 11 at 2 p.m.
On a cold, clear, moonless night in the middle of winter, all is not quite what it seems in the remote, mythical town of Almost, Maine. As the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, Almost 麻豆精品 S檚 residents find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and often hilarious ways. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. But the bruises heal, and the hearts mend 麻豆精品 S攁lmost 麻豆精品 S攊n this midwinter night 麻豆精品 S檚 dream.
$20 standard, $10 UCF ID
407-823-1500
https://www.theatre.ucf.edu
theatre@ucf.edu