Open Forum

i know this may be a teensy bit of a dangerous question, but I am too curious not to ask it...

Is there anyone else out there who doesn't adore 'Almost Maine'?   :-) 

I wanted to like it. At the beginning, I really thought I would. I liked the vibe of it. I like a lot of the cadence of dialogue. And I generally like magic realism. If somebody were describing to me the component parts, I'd say, Wow, that sounds awesome. And if that person went on to say, And it is one of the most produced shows in HS theatre, I'd think, Well, alrighty then. But I finally got around to reading it, and, well... I actually found the central play on words at the center of most of the scenes to be kind of hokey. 

This reference will likely not mean a lot to most of you, but the scenes remind me of drama sketches at contemporary churches in the 90s. Better written than those, to be sure, but that core idea is similar: take an expression and literalize it into a magical oddity to illustrate a concept. I don't know. It just seems a little cheesy. 

I have never seen a production, so maybe it is great when actually performed well. I assume the show has lots going for it since so many of you have produced it and love it. I'm just wondering if anyone else is not a big fan, or is even a bit on the fence.

------------------------------
Steven Slaughter
English/Theatre
Rosslyn Academy
Nairobi, Kenya

"Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts." - W Berry
------------------------------

It is definitely not my favorite but there are some aspects I like.

------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-17-2020 15:55
From: Steven Slaughter
Subject: Maybe a Dangerous Question

i know this may be a teensy bit of a dangerous question, but I am too curious not to ask it...

Is there anyone else out there who doesn't adore 'Almost Maine'?   :-)

I wanted to like it. At the beginning, I really thought I would. I liked the vibe of it. I like a lot of the cadence of dialogue. And I generally like magic realism. If somebody were describing to me the component parts, I'd say, Wow, that sounds awesome. And if that person went on to say, And it is one of the most produced shows in HS theatre, I'd think, Well, alrighty then. But I finally got around to reading it, and, well... I actually found the central play on words at the center of most of the scenes to be kind of hokey.

This reference will likely not mean a lot to most of you, but the scenes remind me of drama sketches at contemporary churches in the 90s. Better written than those, to be sure, but that core idea is similar: take an expression and literalize it into a magical oddity to illustrate a concept. I don't know. It just seems a little cheesy.

I have never seen a production, so maybe it is great when actually performed well. I assume the show has lots going for it since so many of you have produced it and love it. I'm just wondering if anyone else is not a big fan, or is even a bit on the fence.

------------------------------
Steven Slaughter
English/Theatre
Rosslyn Academy
Nairobi, Kenya

"Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts." - W Berry
------------------------------

Personally, I love the play.  But I do have multiple theatre friends and colleagues who feel the same as you do, even after seeing a production.

------------------------------
Jessica Shaw
Speech and Drama Teacher
Alexandria VA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-17-2020 15:55
From: Steven Slaughter
Subject: Maybe a Dangerous Question

i know this may be a teensy bit of a dangerous question, but I am too curious not to ask it...

Is there anyone else out there who doesn't adore 'Almost Maine'?   :-)

I wanted to like it. At the beginning, I really thought I would. I liked the vibe of it. I like a lot of the cadence of dialogue. And I generally like magic realism. If somebody were describing to me the component parts, I'd say, Wow, that sounds awesome. And if that person went on to say, And it is one of the most produced shows in HS theatre, I'd think, Well, alrighty then. But I finally got around to reading it, and, well... I actually found the central play on words at the center of most of the scenes to be kind of hokey.

This reference will likely not mean a lot to most of you, but the scenes remind me of drama sketches at contemporary churches in the 90s. Better written than those, to be sure, but that core idea is similar: take an expression and literalize it into a magical oddity to illustrate a concept. I don't know. It just seems a little cheesy.

I have never seen a production, so maybe it is great when actually performed well. I assume the show has lots going for it since so many of you have produced it and love it. I'm just wondering if anyone else is not a big fan, or is even a bit on the fence.

------------------------------
Steven Slaughter
English/Theatre
Rosslyn Academy
Nairobi, Kenya

"Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts." - W Berry
------------------------------

I've never read it but have seen several productions. I enjoyed all of the productions I have seen - many of them with great laugh out loud moments for me (appealing to my sense of humor). I appreciate your thoughtful comments and wonder if I would have felt the same if I had read it first. I hope you get to see a production soon.

------------------------------
Frank Pruet
Former EdTA Board President
Former Chapter Director Georgia Thespians
Atlanta, GA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-17-2020 15:55
From: Steven Slaughter
Subject: Maybe a Dangerous Question

i know this may be a teensy bit of a dangerous question, but I am too curious not to ask it...

Is there anyone else out there who doesn't adore 'Almost Maine'?   :-)

I wanted to like it. At the beginning, I really thought I would. I liked the vibe of it. I like a lot of the cadence of dialogue. And I generally like magic realism. If somebody were describing to me the component parts, I'd say, Wow, that sounds awesome. And if that person went on to say, And it is one of the most produced shows in HS theatre, I'd think, Well, alrighty then. But I finally got around to reading it, and, well... I actually found the central play on words at the center of most of the scenes to be kind of hokey.

This reference will likely not mean a lot to most of you, but the scenes remind me of drama sketches at contemporary churches in the 90s. Better written than those, to be sure, but that core idea is similar: take an expression and literalize it into a magical oddity to illustrate a concept. I don't know. It just seems a little cheesy.

I have never seen a production, so maybe it is great when actually performed well. I assume the show has lots going for it since so many of you have produced it and love it. I'm just wondering if anyone else is not a big fan, or is even a bit on the fence.

------------------------------
Steven Slaughter
English/Theatre
Rosslyn Academy
Nairobi, Kenya

"Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts." - W Berry
------------------------------

Yes, it would be interesting to see a production. Living and teaching in Nairobi, I don't have access to many shows, but perhaps I would be won over if I could see a well-done performance.

------------------------------
Steven Slaughter
English/Theatre
Rosslyn Academy
Nairobi, Kenya

"Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts." - W Berry
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-18-2020 14:03
From: Frank Pruet
Subject: Maybe a Dangerous Question

I've never read it but have seen several productions. I enjoyed all of the productions I have seen - many of them with great laugh out loud moments for me (appealing to my sense of humor). I appreciate your thoughtful comments and wonder if I would have felt the same if I had read it first. I hope you get to see a production soon.

------------------------------
Frank Pruet
Former EdTA Board President
Former Chapter Director Georgia Thespians
Atlanta, GA

Original Message:
Sent: 01-17-2020 15:55
From: Steven Slaughter
Subject: Maybe a Dangerous Question

i know this may be a teensy bit of a dangerous question, but I am too curious not to ask it...

Is there anyone else out there who doesn't adore 'Almost Maine'?   :-)

I wanted to like it. At the beginning, I really thought I would. I liked the vibe of it. I like a lot of the cadence of dialogue. And I generally like magic realism. If somebody were describing to me the component parts, I'd say, Wow, that sounds awesome. And if that person went on to say, And it is one of the most produced shows in HS theatre, I'd think, Well, alrighty then. But I finally got around to reading it, and, well... I actually found the central play on words at the center of most of the scenes to be kind of hokey.

This reference will likely not mean a lot to most of you, but the scenes remind me of drama sketches at contemporary churches in the 90s. Better written than those, to be sure, but that core idea is similar: take an expression and literalize it into a magical oddity to illustrate a concept. I don't know. It just seems a little cheesy.

I have never seen a production, so maybe it is great when actually performed well. I assume the show has lots going for it since so many of you have produced it and love it. I'm just wondering if anyone else is not a big fan, or is even a bit on the fence.

------------------------------
Steven Slaughter
English/Theatre
Rosslyn Academy
Nairobi, Kenya

"Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts." - W Berry
------------------------------

There are a lot of reasons why a show becomes popular with high schools and honestly, the quality of the script is not always one of them (or at least not the primary reason).

We have so many things to consider. Almost, Maine is, in my opinion, charming and light. Only one scene (the two guys ice fishing) seems to ever cause much community controversy and the heck with those people, it's adorable. But no, it's not a major work of American theater.  What it is however is easy to cast, with lots of equal size roles so that you can cast a lot of kids and no one or two kids have to carry the entire weight of a show. There are plenty of good girl's roles and you can do it with a large cast or you can double and triple cast and do it with a small cast. It's also easy to produce, with modern everyday costumes, easy props and a simple unit set. It can work on a large mainstage or a small blackbox or even in a classroom. Whatever you've got. It has only one major technical lighting effect at the end. Finally, the small playlet formula makes it really easy to rehearse. You don't have to worry about a lot of actor conflicts as you only need 2-3 cast members as most rehearsals until you hit tech. It's really just a series of short skits but it somehow feels like a fully mounted play when you're done.

So for American high schools, Almost, Maine is pretty much perfect. 

This is also, by the way, why Grease was so widely produced for so many decades. Not a great musical, but a lot of fun. Audiences like it. And it's super easy to cast, produce and rehearse. It has started to fall out of favor more and more (with good cause in my opinion) as people have started to notice how misogynist and inappropriate a lot of the show is, but it was definitely the number one high school musical for a very very long time, mostly for being easy to produce. 

------------------------------
John Monteverde
Drama Teacher
A3: The Academy of Arts & Academics
Springfield, OR
john.monteverde@springfield.k12.or.us
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-17-2020 15:55
From: Steven Slaughter
Subject: Maybe a Dangerous Question

i know this may be a teensy bit of a dangerous question, but I am too curious not to ask it...

Is there anyone else out there who doesn't adore 'Almost Maine'?   :-)

I wanted to like it. At the beginning, I really thought I would. I liked the vibe of it. I like a lot of the cadence of dialogue. And I generally like magic realism. If somebody were describing to me the component parts, I'd say, Wow, that sounds awesome. And if that person went on to say, And it is one of the most produced shows in HS theatre, I'd think, Well, alrighty then. But I finally got around to reading it, and, well... I actually found the central play on words at the center of most of the scenes to be kind of hokey.

This reference will likely not mean a lot to most of you, but the scenes remind me of drama sketches at contemporary churches in the 90s. Better written than those, to be sure, but that core idea is similar: take an expression and literalize it into a magical oddity to illustrate a concept. I don't know. It just seems a little cheesy.

I have never seen a production, so maybe it is great when actually performed well. I assume the show has lots going for it since so many of you have produced it and love it. I'm just wondering if anyone else is not a big fan, or is even a bit on the fence.

------------------------------
Steven Slaughter
English/Theatre
Rosslyn Academy
Nairobi, Kenya

"Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts." - W Berry
------------------------------

Yes, John, I can definitely see the appeal of the show. (One of the reasons I finally got around to reading it.) I have yet to do an episodic show like this with all of its practicalities for rehearsal. There are a number of them written for MS, it seems, and it makes perfect sense. 

p.s. Yeah, I've always felt pretty creeped out by the misogyny of Grease. Seven Brides, too.

------------------------------
Steven Slaughter
English/Theatre
Rosslyn Academy
Nairobi, Kenya

"Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts." - W Berry
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-18-2020 18:57
From: John Monteverde
Subject: Maybe a Dangerous Question

There are a lot of reasons why a show becomes popular with high schools and honestly, the quality of the script is not always one of them (or at least not the primary reason).

We have so many things to consider. Almost, Maine is, in my opinion, charming and light. Only one scene (the two guys ice fishing) seems to ever cause much community controversy and the heck with those people, it's adorable. But no, it's not a major work of American theater.  What it is however is easy to cast, with lots of equal size roles so that you can cast a lot of kids and no one or two kids have to carry the entire weight of a show. There are plenty of good girl's roles and you can do it with a large cast or you can double and triple cast and do it with a small cast. It's also easy to produce, with modern everyday costumes, easy props and a simple unit set. It can work on a large mainstage or a small blackbox or even in a classroom. Whatever you've got. It has only one major technical lighting effect at the end. Finally, the small playlet formula makes it really easy to rehearse. You don't have to worry about a lot of actor conflicts as you only need 2-3 cast members as most rehearsals until you hit tech. It's really just a series of short skits but it somehow feels like a fully mounted play when you're done.

So for American high schools, Almost, Maine is pretty much perfect. 

This is also, by the way, why Grease was so widely produced for so many decades. Not a great musical, but a lot of fun. Audiences like it. And it's super easy to cast, produce and rehearse. It has started to fall out of favor more and more (with good cause in my opinion) as people have started to notice how misogynist and inappropriate a lot of the show is, but it was definitely the number one high school musical for a very very long time, mostly for being easy to produce. 

------------------------------
John Monteverde
Drama Teacher
A3: The Academy of Arts & Academics
Springfield, OR
john.monteverde@springfield.k12.or.us

Original Message:
Sent: 01-17-2020 15:55
From: Steven Slaughter
Subject: Maybe a Dangerous Question

i know this may be a teensy bit of a dangerous question, but I am too curious not to ask it...

Is there anyone else out there who doesn't adore 'Almost Maine'?   :-)

I wanted to like it. At the beginning, I really thought I would. I liked the vibe of it. I like a lot of the cadence of dialogue. And I generally like magic realism. If somebody were describing to me the component parts, I'd say, Wow, that sounds awesome. And if that person went on to say, And it is one of the most produced shows in HS theatre, I'd think, Well, alrighty then. But I finally got around to reading it, and, well... I actually found the central play on words at the center of most of the scenes to be kind of hokey.

This reference will likely not mean a lot to most of you, but the scenes remind me of drama sketches at contemporary churches in the 90s. Better written than those, to be sure, but that core idea is similar: take an expression and literalize it into a magical oddity to illustrate a concept. I don't know. It just seems a little cheesy.

I have never seen a production, so maybe it is great when actually performed well. I assume the show has lots going for it since so many of you have produced it and love it. I'm just wondering if anyone else is not a big fan, or is even a bit on the fence.

------------------------------
Steven Slaughter
English/Theatre
Rosslyn Academy
Nairobi, Kenya

"Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts." - W Berry
------------------------------

I have pooh-poohed "Almost Maine" for many years and devalued it without having any real connection to it. This year I let my students present "Almost Maine" for our student-directed One-Act Plays and can now see why people seem to like it so much. My students had an excellent experience with it and the audience really enjoyed it. The quality of the writing is not on the level of "Death of a Salesman," for instance, but it is far from the worst play commonly available to high school students. I am a little bit of a snob myself and I can say that I do not share your concerns. It is a little cheesy, I guess, but people like cheese.

------------------------------
Mark A. Zimmerman,

Theatre Director
Akron School for the Arts
Firestone Community Learning Center
470 Castle Blvd
Akron, Ohio 44313

Troupe 5570

mzimmerm@apslearns.org
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-17-2020 15:55
From: Steven Slaughter
Subject: Maybe a Dangerous Question

i know this may be a teensy bit of a dangerous question, but I am too curious not to ask it...

Is there anyone else out there who doesn't adore 'Almost Maine'?   :-)

I wanted to like it. At the beginning, I really thought I would. I liked the vibe of it. I like a lot of the cadence of dialogue. And I generally like magic realism. If somebody were describing to me the component parts, I'd say, Wow, that sounds awesome. And if that person went on to say, And it is one of the most produced shows in HS theatre, I'd think, Well, alrighty then. But I finally got around to reading it, and, well... I actually found the central play on words at the center of most of the scenes to be kind of hokey.

This reference will likely not mean a lot to most of you, but the scenes remind me of drama sketches at contemporary churches in the 90s. Better written than those, to be sure, but that core idea is similar: take an expression and literalize it into a magical oddity to illustrate a concept. I don't know. It just seems a little cheesy.

I have never seen a production, so maybe it is great when actually performed well. I assume the show has lots going for it since so many of you have produced it and love it. I'm just wondering if anyone else is not a big fan, or is even a bit on the fence.

------------------------------
Steven Slaughter
English/Theatre
Rosslyn Academy
Nairobi, Kenya

"Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts." - W Berry
------------------------------

Very interesting response, Mark. Thanks. The replies here definitely make me more curious to see a show. It is quite possible I could end up liking it. I agree that the writing, while not a classic, is a cut above the average shows being written for students. Do any of you know if it was intended to be performed by students, or some other demographic? And, yeah, I get the appeal of the cheese factor. I wonder if my lack of enthusiasm comes not from the fact that it is a little cheesy to the KIND of cheese it is. I am not a fan of puns. At all. And, though not exactly a pun, the "bringing a common phrase to life literally" technique somehow feels sort of related to puns in some way – sort of clunky word play. 

Still, I will keep an open mind and happily go see the show if I get a chance. Thanks again for your thoughts.  :-) 

------------------------------
Steven Slaughter
English/Theatre
Rosslyn Academy
Nairobi, Kenya

"Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts." - W Berry
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-20-2020 11:25
From: Mark A. Zimmerman
Subject: Maybe a Dangerous Question

I have pooh-poohed "Almost Maine" for many years and devalued it without having any real connection to it. This year I let my students present "Almost Maine" for our student-directed One-Act Plays and can now see why people seem to like it so much. My students had an excellent experience with it and the audience really enjoyed it. The quality of the writing is not on the level of "Death of a Salesman," for instance, but it is far from the worst play commonly available to high school students. I am a little bit of a snob myself and I can say that I do not share your concerns. It is a little cheesy, I guess, but people like cheese.

------------------------------
Mark A. Zimmerman,

Theatre Director
Akron School for the Arts
Firestone Community Learning Center
470 Castle Blvd
Akron, Ohio 44313

Troupe 5570

mzimmerm@apslearns.org

Original Message:
Sent: 01-17-2020 15:55
From: Steven Slaughter
Subject: Maybe a Dangerous Question

i know this may be a teensy bit of a dangerous question, but I am too curious not to ask it...

Is there anyone else out there who doesn't adore 'Almost Maine'?   :-)

I wanted to like it. At the beginning, I really thought I would. I liked the vibe of it. I like a lot of the cadence of dialogue. And I generally like magic realism. If somebody were describing to me the component parts, I'd say, Wow, that sounds awesome. And if that person went on to say, And it is one of the most produced shows in HS theatre, I'd think, Well, alrighty then. But I finally got around to reading it, and, well... I actually found the central play on words at the center of most of the scenes to be kind of hokey.

This reference will likely not mean a lot to most of you, but the scenes remind me of drama sketches at contemporary churches in the 90s. Better written than those, to be sure, but that core idea is similar: take an expression and literalize it into a magical oddity to illustrate a concept. I don't know. It just seems a little cheesy.

I have never seen a production, so maybe it is great when actually performed well. I assume the show has lots going for it since so many of you have produced it and love it. I'm just wondering if anyone else is not a big fan, or is even a bit on the fence.

------------------------------
Steven Slaughter
English/Theatre
Rosslyn Academy
Nairobi, Kenya

"Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts." - W Berry
------------------------------