Article from January 7 Pickens Progress
ByAn article from Pat Jewell and Daniel Picklesimer:
Almost, Maine is a series of short plays that come together to describe life and love on a cold Friday night in Almost, Maine. Each of the plays has a director, all of whom chose their play and their actors. In the weeks leading up to the production, you will be introduced to the directors, actors and the director’s take on their plays. Today, we hear from Daniel Picklesimer and his portion of the show titled “Sad and Glad”.
Shows will be at the old Pickens High School Auditorium on Feb. 18-20 and Feb 26-28. Tickets are $12.00 adult and $10.00 student at the door. Discounted advanced tickets, for $2 less can be purchased at Jasper Drugs or Community Bank of Pickens County and will go on sale soon. Friday and Saturday shows will begin at 7:30 pm, Sunday at 2:00. This year Tater Patch has added a special “pay what you can and can hunger show” on Sunday Feb 21st. In an effort to make the unique experience of community theater available to more families in these economic times, all seats for this show are “pay what you can”. “Pay what you can” show tickets must be purchased at the door. Tater Patch also asks that everyone bring a canned food item that will go to the CARES food pantry. Donations for CARES will be taken at all shows, but the “pay what you can” promotion is only good on the 21st. For more information, see www.taterpatchplayers.org. Beat the cold and order tickets online! And now for Daniel’s “take” on his part of this production –
Why I chose Sad and Glad
I read Sad and Glad and knew instantly that it was the play that I wanted to direct. Sad and Glad is the story of Jimmy, a man who runs into his ex girlfriend, Sandrine, at the local hang out, much to Sandrine’s disappointment. Sandrine must have a very awkward conversation with Jimmy all while the newest waitress at the hangout insists that Sandrine and Jimmy make a lovely couple. In just a few short pages this vignette draws out so many emotions that we all feel, all the time, and I knew I had to direct it. Seeing someone you want to be nice to but don’t want to have to deal with, being elated when you are reunited with someone who makes everything in your life worthwhile, being devastated when you realize this person does not want to fill that void in your life, finding someone new who excites you and makes life worthwhile again—all of these wonderful and terrible things are in this short vignette, and they all drew my attention and adoration.
For Sad and Glad I was lucky enough to be blessed with a wonderful cast that consists of Alex Nawrocki as Jimmy, Ellen Painter as Sandrine, and Pat Jewell as the waitress. I had at first only intended to have very youthful actors try out for this vignette as I could only see someone in their early to late twenties fitting the parts; however, after seeing these very skilled actors display the exact emotions I was looking for in their characters, I knew I had to have them for respective characters. Alex Nawrocki makes the character of Jimmy so simple and loveable that everyone will be cheering for him. Ellen Painter brings sincerity to the character of Sandrine so that anyone can understand and sympathize with her and her decisions completely. Pat Jewell makes the waitress’s character talkative and bubbly so that everyone can see that she is a nice person trying to do her job, but also brings a caring appeal to her that will make everyone appreciate her all the more. With such a wonderful cast I am confident that Sad and Glad will be as enjoyable to others to come and see as it has been for me to direct.I have truly fallen in love with Sad and Glad and I believe that with the help of the wonderful cast I have assembled all those who see it will fall just as deeply in love with it as I have.
