Almost Maine and Tracks (West Broward high school presents winter double feature)

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CUTE COUPLE: A scene between lovers Suzette and Hope on a date in the quiet mountaintown of Almost, Maine. the couple was portrayed by Emma Perappadan and Maria Pichardo. Photo courtesy of Amy Nesmith.

By: Adrian Baez

The theater arts program at West Broward High School held a double bill this past season, presenting the anthology play Almost, Maine alongside the one-act play Tracks. Performances occurred outdoors, lit by winter lights and the sound of an actual subway platform.

These two plays, as different as they are in terms of tone and yet similar in being human relationships, were chosen by the drama program’s student director Jack DeVita to serve as acting challenges to the students through two different methods of acting. As the lights dimmed at the West Broward auditorium, the crowds embarked on a journey from magical realism into the world of human existence all within one single day.

“The hardest part was the pace at which everything was happening. You don’t have a lot of time to ease into a scene, so you have to be completely there from the start, and it’s what really forces you to trust your scene partner and your instincts,” said DeVita.

DYSFUNCTIONAL DAZE: A scene between the dysfunctional married couple Pete and Ginette on a date in the quiet mountain town of Almost, Maine. Portrayed by Jack DeVita and Alexa Figueroa. Photo courtesy of Amy Nesmith.

Almost, Maine, by John Cariani, is a set of loosely connected scenes that transpire in a northern town, where love behaves in weird ways. People actually fall in love, and breaking hearts occurs in ways that are to be taken literally. There was also subtlety in the technical details. This was communicated through the colors, which stayed cool, the fog, which was low, and the blue lights laced with green to portray the northern lights without dulling the senses to the intimacy of the scenes. There was no heavy prop usage, with the props being limited to things such as a bench, two jackets, and some household items.

“We intentionally kept the design simplistic so it wouldn’t compete with what was happening on stage with the actors, and instead blended into the atmosphere of each scene without drawing notice to it,” said Hailey Sanchez.

In the second half, the mood darkened a bit with Tracks, Peter Tarsi’s one-act play that took place in the underground platform where the strangers began realizing that they already died and whether this train was going to the good place or the bad place. This play demanded skilled ensemble acting, as the characters’ confessions were all pieces in unraveling the mystery. The students practiced the overlap in the dialogue and the movement necessary for the tight and unclear space.

TREMENDOUS TENSION: a scene between the two high school students in the eerie subway sation of Tracks. The upperclassman duo was portrayed by Amin Laaroussi and Jessica Laufman-Valdes. Photo courtesy of Amy Nesmith.

“It was kinda weird going from one play to the other, although it did help me to be able to reset in emotional terms pretty quick, and I know that definitely comes in handy later on down the road in other productions,”said actress Naysa Cabrera.

Train noises, metal echoes, and garbled static filled the air. Tech designers used tight light angles to isolate action with characters before providing wider exposure to the whole cast. Costume designs, Jackets, suits, uniforms, and backpacks helped flesh out each member’s life.

“A lot of it had to do with timing and atmosphere, particularly with the sounds and the light changes, so everything had to be in sync in order to build that tension,” Sanchez said

Behind the scenes, there were stage managers among the students directing the actors to follow two different cue systems, different visual environments to be provided by the prop teams, and assistants to help the actors change quickly.

ACE ATTORNEY: A scene showing the Lawyer from Tracks thinking deeply about her current situation. This prosecutor was portrayed by Naysa Cabrera. Photo courtesy of Amy nesmith.

“There were lots of moving pieces going on, especially with two productions going on at once, but everybody managed their stuff and looked out for each other, and it made everything flow much better,” said stage manager Amanda Espanoiza.

As the final lights went to black and the cast took their bows, students and staff definitely reflected on the value of pairing Almost, Maine with Tracks. The double feature provided insight into two sides of the human condition, one hopeful and whimsical, the other sobering and reflective.

“This show showed us how much the program has grown, and it makes us excited about what we can do next. Especially with more ambitious material and student-led collaboration,” said DeVita