On Friday, April 8, Saturday, April 9 and Sunday, April 10, the Masque and Triangle Student Theater group put on a production of the play Almost, Maine in Brehmer Theater. Written by John Cariani, the play is broken into nine acts, punctuated by a prologue, interlogue and epilogue, each following a different love story. While some of the acts offered a more dismal outlook on relationships, most of the stories provided heartwarming conclusions. 

Senior Monica Hoh directed the play  with sophomore Ben Hack as assistant director. Hoh was drawn to the play after seeing it performed at Colgate in her first year and then again when she returned to her high school to see it. She was inspired to take on the task of directing the play when she began thinking about what she wanted to do in her senior year.

“As this is my first time directing anything, it’s been so much fun throughout all of it. I loved working with my cast; they were all so dedicated and made the process easier. I was also lucky and got to work with a great backstage team. My assistant director, Ben Hack (look for more in the future with him!) kept me sane the entire way through. I think it’s given me a whole new appreciation for directors, as I tend to act onstage,” Hoh said.

Despite consisting of nine distinct acts, each story takes place in the location of Almost, Maine, a community that has never quite formed an official town. Many of the characters wear winter parkas and mittens to ground the play in its wintery location while also connecting to the audience of Colgate students, who can certainly imagine a subzero night.

“I think I have a love for every scene in its own way. What is the most interesting is that the playwright found such a fascinating ways to conceive of love in tangible, magical ways. He physicalizes things that we only think about and creatives a whole town where the magic can be seen. It offers new ideas about love and what love looks like when we experience it,” Hoh said.

With performances at different times over the course of the weekend of April 9, there were still many people in the audience at each showing. The audience consisted of students, professors and interested Hamilton community members who enjoyed watching these characters fall in and out of love. Public opinion was overwhelmingly positive.

“I thought Almost, Maine was the perfect combination of romance, comedy and wit. Each of the short plays creatively used symbols or physical objects to represent the meaning of love,” sophomore Alyssa Fritz said.

“I enjoyed seeing the different aspects of love portrayed in a funny, entertaining way. I’m also glad there were a lot of happy endings,” sophomore Thomas Fretz said.