Almost, Maine
at Jserra Catholic High school

Reviewed on February 3, 2017

Maddy Cole
Capistrano Valley High School
Submitted for publication to OC Varsity Arts

Jserra's "Almost Maine" is more than almost heartwarming.
written by Maddy Cole, a senior at Capistrano Valley High School

Through blistering winds and against all odds, love makes it way down to a town so small that maps don't know of its location. Love travels to the residents of Jserra's "Almost, Maine" and takes the shape of a misspelt tattoo, a falling boot, and even gravity itself.

Two of the unsuspecting lovebirds, Randy (Nicolas Rocha) and Cheryl (Cassidy Wendell), are found relaxing on a bench. As Wendell begins to profess her new found love of her best friend, the tone of her voice raises pushing Cheryl's nerves to the surface. Rocha watches this secret unfold with wide eyes and an uncomfortable stare. Both Wendell and Rocha literally fall for the other, leaving the stage with the clumsy duo staring astonished in the others' eyes.


Another notable performance is Nicholas Hendrick as Steve who is a socially challenged man who finds himself struck with an ironing board. Hendrick drops to the floor with a wide smile on his face showing Steve's immunity to this pain. With outstretched arms, he repeatedly smashes his face against his notebook all while joyfully explaining his unnatural reaction to pain. It's not until he realizes his love for Marvalyn, also portrayed by Cassidy Wendell, that he can finally mutter the word, "ouch."

Keeping up with the magic of the show is Didrik Thordarson and Cassidy Wendell's set design. A backdrop filled with snowy mountains and a rainbow of northern lights hangs towards the back of the stage. A small but cozy-looking log cabin and variation of trees fill the rest and provide a comforting feel to the town of Almost. The stage is set like an authentic small town in Maine, giving the actors a winter world to play with.

Aiding to this theme is Matthew Bergstrom's lighting design. To represent the northern lights, tints of blue and pink gently graze the actors' faces. These northern lights add color and whimsical emotions to this production.

The chill that surrounds the town of Almost can be cured by the warmth of love that begins to fill the hearts of the residents. Jserra admirably adds their own take on the touching love story that is "Almost Maine."

Aaron Kim
Northwood High School
Submitted for publication to OC Varsity Arts

If you're looking for love, JSerra's the perfect place

JSerra Catholic High School's production of "Almost, Maine" brings the magic of the Northeast to Southern California as it traces the lives of the residents of the titular town as they fall in and out of love.

The play is presented in a series of vignettes, featuring actors such as Nicolas Rocha, whose engaging physicality and comedic timing in the roles of Randy and Dave bring a sense of fun and energy to his scenes "They Fell" and "Seeing the Thing".

Makenna Collick as Hope excellently portrays a girl looking for a former lover in order to answer a question she left behind many years ago. The development of her character and dynamic interplay with fellow actor Matthew Bergstrom, as Man, makes the "Story of Hope" exceptionally compelling.

The play isn't lacking in emotional impact, as Cassidy Wendell proves in "This Hurts", as her character Marvalyn depicts a guarded and deeply hurt figure through her downcast demeanor and dejected posture. The makeup, headed by Lauren Knight, assists in this performance through subtle use of eyeshadow to imply a healing black eye, revealing Wendell's rocky relationship to the audience.

Throughout all the varied scenes, the backdrop of the stage, a breathtaking impressionistic version of snowy Maine mountains, adds a larger-than-life atmosphere to the play. Designers Didrik Thordarson and Cassidy Wendell drew inspiration for their work from Big Bear, California, and took day trips to the mountains in order to give the set a firm grounding in reality.

Matthew Bergstrom uses the simple lighting to great effect, creating a mystical ambience through colours that reflect the Northern Lights, a recurring theme throughout the show, and by the use of warmer colors to suggest a budding romance, especially during "They Fell".

Although the music made the initial dialogue a little hard to hear at times during certain scenes, the entire play charms and captivates with a not-quite real, not-quite fantasy spirit that permeates the set and each scene. One could say that "Almost, Maine" is almost too good to be true.