Dear Friends and Family,
As I’m writing this Director’s Note, I’m feeling even more obliged for Almost Maine. The entire cast and crew have put in much time and talent into bringing each of these stories to life for you. I am truly honored to be a part of this experience and for directing “Story of Hope.”
Almost Maine is a contemporary play by John Cariani. Each tale or scene is connected with love, loss, and has its own touch of magic running throughout. "Story of Hope" is about, Hope, trying to reconnect with her old boyfriend after leaving him for many years. When Daniel opens the door she doesn’t recognize him, and continues to ramble about her mistake until she finally does recognize him…
I’d like to express my gratitude and love for my actors, Katherine Guiterrez and Chris Marquez. They put nothing but time and talent into everything they do. I know they’ll continue to do great things in their future. - Zoha Mehmood
John Cariani and his work Almost, Maine are pieces of wonder like no other. As you watch our show, you can tell he dropped a piece of his heart into his product, and in Her Heart, one can question if he did it in a literal sense. Her Heart takes a bite out the show’s use of fantasy to exaggerate the common heartbreak. And as one of the first scenes in the show, it lays out a good idea to the audience what this show is really about. When someone mentions love, we have a certain connotation that our minds jump to, whether it be one of our own past experiences in such or just a reaction to the word. And I am no stranger. When I think of what I want to achieve in this scene, I remember what I believe to be true: You’re never too young to have your heart chipped away like pieces of slate, nor are we too weak to hold the weight of those shards until we find a fix. So as our characters learn that as well, I’d like for you to listen to the words they speak, the feelings they feel, their personal connotations, and take a look into their heart. - Taj Destouche
My scene is about how a man finds his lost love. even after a lot of loss, he still has
the hope to get with this woman as a last-ditch effort to not be alone. And the woman he flags down just wants to leave and enjoy herself, but she must make amends with a loose end. My motivation was the sheer will of teaching new actors, the idea of putting my skills to the test was exhilarating. I chose the actors in my scene for a reason, I saw Janiyah as Sandrine, she had so much potential with her attitude and her very truthful nature. I saw Bryan with so much energy ready but needed that push to get it all out then to see him play a very hurt man but with hope so perfectly, I knew I wouldn’t be let down. I saw Janeth as the waitress. Janeth, already, has so much experience, and to see her play this role that she liked a lot as a waitress who is always energetic, I could tell she loved it! - Sergio Retta
