Valentine’s Day may soon be over, but Sequim High School actors hope the community continues to share the love by supporting the senior class.
This weekend, “Almost, Maine” makes its Sequim debut at the high school’s Performing Arts Center. Twenty actors, including six seniors, perform to raise funds for the 2013 senior class’ graduation party, a drug- and alcohol-free event for students to celebrate safely.
Set in a small fictitious town, “Almost, Maine” is told through nine short plays ranging from six to nine minutes with no recurring characters.
Director Robin Hall said the play by John Cariani has risen to recent notoriety as one of the most produced plays in high schools across the nation.
The play’s nine parts take place around 9 p.m. during the aurora borealis following couples who fall in love, break hearts and rekindle romances. “People will be able to identify at least one of the scenes,” Hall said.
She and student actors selected the play for its comedic elements, but Hall finds a lot of dramedy in certain scenes.
While the cast is mostly underclassmen, Hall said she’s proud of the cast tackling subject matter they may not have even experienced yet.
“A lot of them learned a lot about themselves,” she said. “A lot of them haven’t had these life experiences before. Maybe some of them haven’t even had their first kiss or boyfriend or girlfriend or even gone on a date. But they are handling it well.”
Senior Xenia Hernandez is a newcomer to acting but is liking her role in the play.
“I wanted to try it,” she said of acting. “So far it’s super fun.”
Hernandez plays Marvelyn, a character going through a rough patch after a fight with her boyfriend. While doing laundry she meets an odd duck named Steve, played by Hunter Cauffman. A series of weird events leads the couple to connect in a way that will surprise people, Hernandez said.
“There are a lot of plot twists and it goes places you didn’t expect,” Hall said.
While the show is a benefit for high school seniors, Hall said the actors’ biggest supporters are senior citizens.
“There are a lot of senior citizens who support us regardless and some of them who might not have anyone they know in the show,” she said. “We really appreciate their help.”
Cast members include Alex Rodriguez, Allie Seay, Aristea Bagia, Bailey Thomas, Ben Heintz, Bernadette Dalm, Cassidy Derrick, Christine Honore, Ciara Westhoven, Hunter Cauffman, Hailey Brock, Jacob Fink, Jacob Major, Julianne Miller, Kristina Holtrop, Lily Paulsen, Miranda Pedersen, Nick Fazio, Will Duncan and Xenia Hernandez.
