Magic and midwinter sonder: Black Box opens ‘Almost, Maine’ at STU

St. Thomas University’s Black Box Theatre, located in James Dunne Hall, is where hopes and dreams are performed live. (Jennifer Williams/AQ)

St. Thomas University’s Black Box Theatre is set to open Almost, Maine, a whimsical, nine-scene play known for blending everyday life with small bursts of magic on Nov. 26.

The production features 19 student actors, each leading their own self-contained scene. 

For Mallory Thompson, a second-year student who will play the character of Gayl,  the show stands out by giving every performer room to shine.

“Every role feels important,” said Thompson. “You get to build a character from the ground up, even if you’re only on stage for one scene.”

Thompson said that the show’s emotional honesty drew her into participating. While Almost, Maine plays with surreal, metaphorical elements, the feelings underneath remain grounded.

“It’s such a human show,” she said. “There’s humour, heartbreak, confusion and connection. It makes you think about how everyone around you is going through their own little universe of emotions.”

Thompson said preparing for the role made her think a lot about the idea of sonder, the realization that every stranger carries a life as complex as yours.

“That’s what the whole show feels like,” she said. “Each scene is just two people, but you get this sense that so much has happened before and so much will happen after. It reminds you that everyone has their own story.”

Ilkay Silk, director of the show and founder of the Black Box Theatre, spent more than three decades shaping STU’s theatre community. She said choosing Almost, Maine offered a chance to include many students while giving them meaningful acting experience.

“It’s a rare show where no one is in the background,” said Silk. “Every student becomes a lead for their scene. They all have something they desperately want or need and that drives the story.”

Silk said what makes the play compelling is its “liminal moments,”  the scenes where ordinary people encounter small shifts that change them.

“Characters begin the scene as one thing and end as another,” she said. “The Northern Lights appear above them and suddenly something in their world shifts. It’s subtle, but it’s transformative.”

Rehearsals were broken into smaller segments due to the play’s structure, which Silk believes has created a sense of anticipation among the cast.

“[The students have] each been building their own little world,” she said. “Now everything comes together in production week. It’s exciting for them, they get to see the full picture.”

Tania Breen, producer and artistic advisor for Black Box Productions, said the space of the theatre elevates the play.

“The Black Box is like an embrace,” said Breen. “The audience surrounds the performers, so everything feels more immediate and intimate. When the Northern Lights appear above your head instead of far away on a distant stage, it feels magical.”

Breen said the faculty wanted a show that offered comfort and optimism.

“With everything happening in the world, it felt important to offer a piece that highlights what’s good in people,” she said. “It’s not escapism, it’s nourishment. People will laugh, feel something gentle and real and leave a little lighter.”

The production also aligns with the Black Box Advisory Committee’s goal of keeping theatre accessible. Tickets are $10 at the door and the opening night Wednesday performance is pay-what-you-can.

“We never want cost to be a barrier,” said Breen. “If students or community members want to be here, we want them to be able to.”