Director: Scott Borish*
Assistant Director, Stage Manager, Sound Board Operator: Paige Kent
Assistant Stage Manager: Sarah Bray
Scenic & Lighting Designer: Scott Borish*
Intimacy Coordinator: Lana Sugarman
Fight Director: Adriano Gatto
Light Board Operator: Ashtyn Rozenberg

SCOTT BORISH (Director, Scenic & Lighting Designer, Jimmy, Phil) is an actor, director and educator. He holds a BFA in Theatre Performance from Florida Atlantic University and is currently enrolled in the MA Performance Studies program at the University at Buffalo. Scott was the Director of Drama at Edgewater High School in Orlando, Florida until relocating to Buffalo, NY. A proud member of Actors Equity Association, Scott has performed on the stages of Palm Beach Dramaworks, Florida Stage, City Theatre, Actors Playhouse and Orlando Family Stage, formerly known as Orlando Repertory Theatre.

“There are all kinds of love in this world but never the same love twice.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Almost, Maine is a play about the most basic emotion of the human condition…love. Love is something that we feel, we experience, we yearn to find. Love drives us, inspires us, and impacts our existence in ways that are sometimes difficult to imagine.

This play highlights how love comes in and out of our lives, often in both magical and mysterious ways. Love surprises us, scares us, makes us say and do things that we thought were not possible. Relationships begin and end. However, the love that we feel or have shared never really goes away completely. Love can change, love can grow, but it never ceases to exist.

What is striking to me about this play is that each scene takes place at the exact same time as the others. As an audience, we see the many faces of love and the infinite possibilities that it can create. We experience love through the inhabitants of a simple, small Maine town. We witness, for a brief moment, how love has impacted their lives.

Do they really understand what it means to love?

Almost.

SOPHIA BRITO (Glory, Deena) is extremely excited to be in this production of Almost, Maine! Recently, she made her debut on stage in King Henry VI, Pt. 2 (King Henry/Warwick), and in a short film, Mother's Essence (Autumn). She would like to thank her parents for driving her to rehearsals since 4^th grade, and for always loving and supporting her unconditionally. 

ALEX FAWKES (Man) (they/he) is a junior Theatre Performance major with (hopefully!) a minor in ASL at the University at Buffalo. They have been happy to support the SDS series since arriving at UB and are proud to form part of the cast in Almost, Maine this time around! Previous performance credits include The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Student/Sleepy Hollow Boy/Ensemble), Puffs (Harry/Susie Bones/Clumsy Longbottom/Colin), The Intruder (Servant/Sister of Mercy), C'est La Vie (Noah/Becky/Tessa), Wasting Away (Jordan), Beauty and the Beast (Madame de la Gran Bouche /Monsieur D'Arque), Newsies (Hannah/Newsie/Nun) & Aladdin (Narrator/Ensemble).

JAMES GALLAGHER (East, Dave) is a freshman at UB and is currently an Occupational Therapy major. This will be his third show at UB, after playing Cedric in Puffs and Felix Ungar in The Odd Couple during his first year. He hopes the audience enjoys the show!

WISTERIA JONES (Sandrine, Hope) (she/her) is a junior Musical Theater major at The University at Buffalo. She has been in musicals since the seventh grade. Her first role was as Little Red Riding Hood in Into the Woods JR. Her most recent roles include Ensemble/Little Page Boy in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Some of her favorite roles include Sandy in SpongeBob the Musical, Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, and Lucy in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. She is from Rochester, NY and hopes to someday work at Disney as a performer. 

OFEIBEA “FEEBS” MICAH (Ginette, Waitress, Marci) is a fourth year English major at the University at Buffalo. Last spring she played the Buckingham/Salisbury track in the UB production of King Henry VI, Pt 2. In addition to theatre, she also has a background in comedy, performing with both UB Stand Up and Laugh, as well as her UB Improv troupe, Stop Texting This Number! Additionally, Feebs’ bestest friend ever, Caroline White Dexter, very beautiful and smart, is not in the show but should be mentioned for no reason at all!

TOBIAS PFLUKE (Pete, Steve) is pursuing a degree in Theatre at The University at Buffalo. He is exploring every aspect of performance that he can! He recently acted in PUFFS, as J. Finch and Zach Smith. He is very proud to have directed the previous Fall ‘24 Student Directed Series production, NO EXIT. He wouldn't be where he is today without the wonderful, beautiful, Kathleen Golde. Thanks, Golde!

SARAH SCHOENEMAN (Gayle) has most recently been in A Wrinkle in Time as Meg Murry (Aurora Players), and has participated in three productions at UB: Puffs, The Odd Couple, and Henry VI, Part 2. She is excited to have the opportunity to be in Almost, Maine! She would like to thank her friends and family for all their support.

ABBY TYLER (Marvalyn, Rhonda) is a junior Music Theatre major and this is her first time in an SDS! She has been dancing and performing since she was three years old, and this is her second time in Almost, Maine. At UB, you might have seen her in Cinderella, Renascence, and last semester as Roz in 9 to 5. She’s had so much fun working with everyone, and she wants to thank Scott and her scene partners for making this process so enjoyable. Abby hopes you love Almost, Maine as much as she does :) @_abbytyler

JO YANKO (Lendall, Shelly) is a second-year student at the University at Buffalo, pursuing a degree in Theatre. Previous favorite roles include Mrs. Bumbrake/Teacher (Peter and the Starcatcher), Betty Parris (Afflicted: Daughters of Salem), Witch (Macbeth), Hazel/Grotto Good (Still Life With Iris), Narrator 2 (The Snow). They would like to thank their friends for being so excited for them, especially Sara. They would also like to thank their mom for existing.

PAIGE KENT (Asst. Director, SM, Sound Board Op) is a Senior majoring in Communications here at UB. Her recent credits include Inez (No Exit), Jenny (Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play), Grandmother (The Intruder), and various roles in UBTHD’s Shakespeare Showcase. She is so excited to be Assistant Directing and Stage Managing this production of Almost, Maine. She would like to thank all her friends and family for being such a support throughout her college years.

SARAH BRAY (Assistant Stage Manager) is a Sophomore Theatre Performance BFA student, and was delighted to be play Estelle in the previous SDS production of No Exit. Some of her favorite previous roles are Miss Scarlet in Clue, Jacquie in Ranked, and Chef Louie in The Little Mermaid. When she’s not on stage, Sarah will be the assistant costume designer for UB’s Ride the Cyclone production, and will be working in the scenic area for all of the Spring Semester. She’d like to thank her momma and fellow cast-mates for all of their support.

Theatre and Dance Department Chair: Eero Laine
Associate Department Chair, Producing Director: Lynne Koscielniak
Production Manager: Rick Haug
Assistant Production Manager: Ally Hasselback
KCT Technical Support: Matt DaVita
KCT Box Office Manager: Rob Falgiano
KCT House Managers: Ally Hasselback, Tom Tucker
Production Photographer: Ken Smith
Senior Staff Assistant: Tom Tucker

The UB Department of Theatre and Dance is a proud member of the UB College of Arts and Sciences. https://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/

Special Thanks to the SUNY Buffalo State University Theatre Department, and Production Manager Ron Schwartz, for their rental of the stage platforms.

With a firm commitment to creative research and experiential learning, the Student Directed Series is administered by the Department of Theatre and Dance.
https://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/theatre-dance.html

The department thanks UB Center for the Arts for their support in advanced ticket sales. https://www.ubcfa.org/

UB Theatre and Dance wishes to acknowledge the generous continued philanthropic support of Fox Run at Orchard Park, an official contributing sponsor of the UBTHD 2024-2025 season.  

UBTHD 2024-2025 SEASON

Today’s performance of Almost, Maine, is part of the Department of Theatre and Dance’s season of plays, dance concerts, and musicals. Our season of programming is also made possible by the generosity of patrons in the form of both ticket purchases and donations. If you would like to further support THD, please visit our website: https://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/theatre-dance/about/support.html