NOCTILUCA May 2018

By Jack Cain Almost, Maine; a true romantic comedy The residents of Almost, a FEATURES Appleton, Wisconsin May 2018 Vol. XXIII

Issue V Page 8

I interviewed Meg Cain, a freshman cast member of Al- most, Maine. The Noctiluca: How would you describe Almost, Maine? Meg Cain: A brutally honest play of magical love stories that occur under the Northern Lights in a small, nonexistent town. N: What part do you play? M: I play Sandrine, a woman who accidentally runs into her ex-boyfriend at her bachelorette party and has to break the news to him telling him she’s getting married. He isn’t thrilled. It’s hecka awk- ward. There’s a supernatural twist at the end but you have to have seen it to find out! N: How has your experi- ence in your first year of the- atre been? M: I’ve gotten the privi- lege to be one of the nine gor- geous members of Improvedy, which has been the coolest thing ever. The musical was also incredible, and I loved

by Hayden Freeman, Joel Burkert, and Tony Krueger. After this game, the most involved players met at the Ballard McDonalds to cre- ate the official rules. This was where the rule book was drafted. Since then, Survival has increased in popular- ity and is now a school-wide phenomenon. Survival is essentially an expanded capture the flag match spanning a large por- tion of Plamann Park with a few differences. Similar to capture the flag, the oppo- nent’s flag must be brought into your half of the course to win. Instead of tagging opponents, you must make contact with their torso with a stick or PVC pipe of no more than four feet in length. Due to the violence that this aspect of the game incites, all participants must sign an in- formal liability form before playing. Generally, there are two major teams that partici- pate: The Squatches and The Goonters, these teams are not set in stone, and one may join being apart of something where so many people were working extremely hard to reach a common goal. I think everyone should experience something like that. North Theatre is a great way to have a professional, challenging experience with a ton of tal- ented people. N: What’s your favorite aspect of Almost, Maine? M: I like the playwright, John Cariani. He does an in- credible job of portraying nat- ural speech and the awkward- ness of real-life relationships. It makes our job way easier as actors. I also love his use of metaphors, and their ability to make realistic heartbreak come alive in a relatable way. Everyone who saw it was bound to connect to the sto- ries of Almost, Maine in more ways than one. Almost, Maine began showings May 2nd. A short review stated “It was a beauti- ful, funny show about real-life love and heartbreak.”

small fictional town in north- ern Maine, find themselves falling in and out of love in strange, unorthodox ways si- multaneously as the Northern Lights hover ominously above them at 9 p.m. on a cold mid- winter night. Filled with surreal, super- natural experiences dealing with the agonizing joys of love, Almost, Maine reminds audiences of a strange hybrid between the classic holiday romantic comedy, Love Ac- tually, and the iconic black- and-white television show, The Twilight Zone. Almost, Maine tells the stories of nine couples in individual vi- gnettes, each with their own supernatural twist. Relation- ships end, begin, or change drastically throughout the course of a brief 5-7 minute segment, all while bring- ing out every drop of beauty, hardship, and hysteria that love has to offer.

Cast A during their “bows” on the last day of performances. Photo by Catherine McKenzie

Student-created game ‘Survival of the Fitness’ gains popularity for the coming spring

then we realized that we had captured a random stick and not the actual flag. It broke whatever was left of my heart.[sic.]” Games usually take place on weekend nights. For spe- cific times, you may want to follow @survivalofthefit- nessofficial on instagram or just ask around. Survival is a great way to connect with the community and engage with the natural world. If you’re looking for a valuable extra- curricular and an enhanced perspective on strategy, war- fare, how to control your body, and psychosis, then Survival is right for you. “Survival of the Fitness is a fun activity that is espe- cially great because it is out- doors and active. You have the opportunity to strategize and compete in a fun differ- ent way than other games. Almost everyone who has come to our matches has had a great time and asks when the next survival will be [sic.]”, said Mikey Mejia.

either one without penalty and may even create one’s own team. When asked what origi- nally got him into the game, Sahil Baherwala said “It was mostly my affiliation with the squatches and my allegiance with Tony Krueger…. It was a good way to make friends as well.” The Appleton North Senior went on to explain why Survival is such an ap- pealing game. “I would say that it’s incredibly fun and it’s a good healthy activity. Also, sometimes it’s just fun hitting someone with a stick. Just try it once because you’ll probably come back. Of the people that come, there is a lot of diversity which I think is a beautiful thing.” Recall- ing his favorite memories from playing, Sahil shared some of these experiences with us. “Once I brought a bunch of ethnic food to con- sume which I think every- one enjoyed. There’s usually some snacks involved with Survival. Also, one time we thought we won a game but

Tony Krueger posing for a picture during a summer match of his self-created game. Photo courtesy of Noah Faber

By Tony Krueger

have developed a game that simulates the “most primitive aspects of the human mind”. A contest of mental strength, speed, and agility. The game of Survival of the Fitness is a game that has the potential to gain city wide popularity in the coming year. Survival is open to anyone and can be enjoyed at any age. Before jumping right into the game, it’s important to first estab- lish the basics. The first “Survival” was played in the fall of 2016 and was based on the original concept of the game created

If you live in the Apple- ton area, there’s a chance you have pondered the origins of shrieks and the clashing of sticks that you hear in the woods in Plaman Park on Sat- urday nights. Hopefully this article will offer an explana- tion as to where these strange sounds come from. A group of Appleton North students ‘Survival of the Fitness’ has been played for two summers so far