“Almost, Maine” was a play performed by Warrior Theater on October 14, 15 and 17. With COVID-19 leaving the group unable to put on a play in the auditorium, they had to come up with a way to perform that keeps everyone safe. 

Theater instructor Jeremy Stoll explained what it was like to put on the program’s first ever outdoor play. 

“We’ve never done a [play] like this, so it’s a little like reinventing the wheel,” Stoll said “We have to rent lighting, we have to figure out settings, we have to bring in a sound system. We have to make a performance venue that’s not a performance venue.”

Cast member Jimmy Watke-Stacy explained what it is like to act in a show that will be outside.  

“A lot of the times we can’t rehearse in the space that we will be performing in, so it’s just a struggle understanding how the space is different,” Watke-Stacy said. “Also for tech, I would say it’s probably really weird. The stage inside is so different from the one outside.”

Assistant director Mia Stiles explained the difficulty with having a play outside and directing a show while incorporating social distancing. 

“I think the cons have been, just since this is all new, we’ve kind of have to figure things out as we go,” Stiles said. “As for pros, I do think we have a lot of them because it is a new experience and it’s something new to get our actors involved in. We had to adapt some of our blocking positions and other little details like that, and we’ve incorporated a lot of different lighting effects to make it work with the social distancing.”