During the past six weeks, the students of JM's new Intro to Theatre class have been working to put on the performance that you will see tonight. This production has presented unique and unexpected challenges for the students, but many of them have risen to the occasion.
Tonight, you will see what is known as a minimalist production of Almost, Maine. The set is more representative than outright extravagant, and many locations are defined by our lighting design and the dialogue. I am incredibly proud of the work of our Spanish Translations team. All 9th graders, the students jumped at the chance to help kickstart this initiative to make theatre at Jordan-Matthews more inclusive and accessible to all members of our local community.
I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to thank the following: Thank you to the administrative team here at JM, and the rest of the faculty and staff, for allowing my students to have this opportunity. A special thank you to my Student Directors - Andrey, Mylie, Izzy, and Jeffery - without whom half of the scenes you see tonight would not have gotten finished. Thanks to Mitchell Rist, who is the only cast member who is not currently enrolled in Theatre I, but jumped in to help save "Where It Went" from being cut altogether. Thanks to Kayla Sharp at Northwood for lending us props and set pieces, and everyone in the Fine Arts department here at JM for being the best colleagues I could ask for. On a personal level, thank you to Allison for your unending support throughout this absurd endeavor I've undertaken; I love you. And thank you to Rose and Chip Pate, along with JMArts, for helping make the Winter Class Play a reality. Alright - enough from me. Welcome to Almost, Maine - a quirky northern town where the Northern Lights shine bright enough to make a little bit of magic happen. It's a place filled with love, loss, and learning. We're glad you're here.
Mr. Sawyer Shafer
Director, Almost, Maine
