With the backdrop of the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), this play tells the story of nine couples. Almost, Maine by acclaimed playwright John Cariani will have over 34 students from the Canadian International School in Bengaluru portraying various characters. Aaron Hoose who is the play’s director as well as the high school drama teachersays, “The play is placed far in the north, in an imaginary place in the state of Maine in America. From this place, you can see the Northern Lights. It’s one night during a very cold winter that nine couple see the lights.”
The play will have nine separate stories loosely connected. When they see the Aurora, something that has to do with love something magical happens. Aaron mentions that this play is deep and profound enough for his students to be interested, but is also friendly enough to be shown to a school community. On the themes that will be discussed, he adds, “Apart from love and the Northern Lights, it is also a play about relationships, people trying to repair relationships.”
Aaron mentions that their main goal was to make this play anything but cute. He explains, “Though these stories might seem cute on the surface, we find something very profound on what it means to be broken while looking for love. On the surface, there is humour and comedy but on the inside, there are real stories of broken people. It’s been a challenge to not make it only cute but also find something that’s deep and touches the audience.”
Nayonika Choudary plays the character Gail who has been with her boyfriend for over 11 years, says, “Her boyfriend hasn’t proposed. She thinks that he doesn’t love her enough. Over a period of a year, Gail has given all the love she could collect to him. At a friend’s bachelorette party, she realises that her relationship isn’t going anywhere. This is one of the those that has a happy ending. Gail is very persistent, hardworking and committed.”
Friends falling in love is what Sayali Bramha portrays as Shelley in the play. She falls in love with her best friend, “These two best friends fall in love but one of them is bold enough to come out and say it first. The other reciprocates after great discussion. I kind of formed a bond with Shelley the first time I read the lines. I found a part of myself in her as she is someone who is not quirky but quite expressive,” explains Sayali.
The goal of the students is to dazzle the audience with the display of the Aurora Borealis. Their biggest technical challenge is the use of sound and light to create an atmosphere of the Northern Lights. On what it was like working with teenagers, Aaron says, “My students are very professional, mature and responsible. It has become hard for me to keep up with them.” Although, they would like to showcase this play to a wider audience, Aaron feels that it would be quite difficult.
—The show takes place till February 2 at the Canadian School auditorium.
