The cast of "Almost, Maine" includes middle and high schoolers Lyrik Brown, Jaiden Lester, Mckennah Jones, S-E Drama Club President Liam Acly, Tucker Valentine, S-E Drama Club Secretary Sybill Fenton, Josie Pierce, S-E Drama Club Vice President Clark Vischi, S-E Drama Club Treasurer Amelia Casscles, Jada Kennedy, and Evie Krivit. The show is co-directed by Colleen Law-Tefft and Lisette Shiffer. (Photo by Sarah Genter)

SHERBURNE — The Sherburne-Earlville High School Drama Club will be performing their production of "Almost, Maine" at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4 at the Sherburne-Earlville Central School District, located at 25 School Street in Sherburne.

The play is set in the mythical town of Almost, Maine on a cold winter's night, and features a series of vignettes each showing two of the town's residents falling in and out of love in unexpected ways, while the northern lights shine in the sky above.

"They’re all love stories of different kinds. Some are happy, some are not so happy, and they all take place at the exact same moment. So in each of them there’s a magical moment that happens between the two people, whatever it is, good or bad," explained Co-Director Colleen Law-Tefft.

The cast of "Almost, Maine" includes middle and high schoolers Lyrik Brown, Jaiden Lester, Mckennah Jones, S-E Drama Club President Liam Acly, Tucker Valentine, S-E Drama Club Secretary Sybill Fenton, Josie Pierce, S-E Drama Club Vice President Clark Vischi, S-E Drama Club Treasurer Amelia Casscles, Jada Kennedy, and Evie Krivit. The show is co-directed by Colleen Law-Tefft and Lisette Shiffer.

Tickets are $5 per person and available at the door before the shows.

Shiffer said a play like this is a little different than what the Drama Club usually does, but the students were excited to try something new and challenge themselves to develop their characters.

"Quite a few of the students said they were really excited to do something a little different and challenge themselves in a role that’s different from what they normally do," she said. "I think that was partly why we wanted to do this show, because it could feature more than a few kids, several could be in it, but it would also challenge a lot of the students, too."

Tenth-grade student and S-E Drama Club President Liam Acly, who will be performing in scenes one and three, said developing his character and making them his own is his favorite part of theater.

"The initial stages of learning the show is really fun, because you get to get in depth with your character. You get to make your character your own, and then as the show progresses on you just get more into that character. You make your character into who you want your character to be, and I think that’s just awesome," he said.

"To really get into more depth with my character, I try to think about the scene, I try to think about the setting. Like, we’re in Maine, it’s cold outside, we’re wearing these coats, or I’m just coming out of my house in the middle of the night so I’m wearing sleepwear," he continued. "Then I try to think about my scene: what’s going on right now? Who am I talking to? And I try to think, who is my character? What should I be wearing? How should I be acting? How should I be sitting, talking, walking?"

The S-E Drama Club typically performs short, one-act plays in the fall and a full production in the spring, as well as holding occasional meetings and workshops throughout the year. Law-Tefft said in the past they've taken students to the New York State Theater Education Association Student Theater Conference, and they were able to attend with four students this January.

"It’s a big conference in the Catskills every year in January, and there’s like 700 kids from all over New York state, theater kids. They take workshops and meet, lots of networking going on, and it’s really well done," she said.

Shiffer said the students get to take various workshops at the conference as well, such as technical, acting, musical theater, and dance classes.

In addition to productions and events, Acly said the club also provides a welcoming and inclusive environment to learn about theater and bond with others who enjoy the art.

"I get on stage, I feel like it’s the place for me. I feel like it’s a place where I can be myself, and it’s just what I love doing," said Acly. "It makes me happy. I enjoy acting, I enjoy singing for musicals, I love the directors here, and I love our cast here. It’s honestly quite amazing. So I really feel like we're a family here."

Shiffer encourages area residents to attend the show this weekend and see all the hard work the S-E Drama Club has done to produce "Almost, Maine" in just five weeks.

"It’s just a wonderful group of students who love theater, and they support each other and have such a passion for it, and that to me makes the show worth coming to see," she said. "Just seeing the passion from the kids and the dedication that they put in, especially with the short amount of time that we’ve had, to see the dedication of the students and all the work that they did, to me, that’s what makes it. I want people to come see these kids."

More information on the S-E Drama Club can be found on the Sherburne-Earlville Drama Club Rocks Facebook page and @s.e.dramaclub_ on Instagram.