Nick Williams from the Class of 2018 is surely on a roll these days! Not only did he recently make his film debut, but he also traveled to New York City to attend an EPIC Players Productions of “Almost, Maine.” Staff drove him and one of his alumni peers to the Poughkeepsie Train Station where they took the Metro-North Line to New York City. EPIC Players is a neurodiverse theatre group in which nearly every performer has some kind of a physical and/or intellectual challenge. And yet, they manage to bring the house down every time just like seasoned professionals.

“Almost, Maine” is a series of thought-provoking vignettes that take place in rural Maine in which things are not what they seem! The episodes were filled with metaphors and are open toward interpretation. For example, one episode has a disgruntled woman returning her “love” to an estranged lover by filling his apartment with colorful, filled bags. Another one featured a woman who carries her broken heart in a small pouch as a man immediately falls in love with her as she is inadvertently trespassing in his yard trying to see the Northern Lights.

Nick participates in the Zoom rehearsals for EPIC Players and is an inducted member of this organization. Unfortunately, considering it is not practical for staff to drive him into the city every single day for rehearsals…it is not yet possible for Nick to participate in these live shows. The next best thing is for Nick to be escorted into the city whenever possible to spend time with all of his peers and support them in the audience.

Nick was taught by staff how to navigate the grid-like geography of the city and use the Waze app to find his way. We have featured a photo of Nick posing with Samantha Elisofon who is one of the stars of EPIC Players and the female lead in the feature film, “Keep the Change” that won a top prize in the Tribeca Film Festival. He is also shown (fourth from the left) in the top photo with his acting cohorts after the performance concluded.

Go Nick Williams!!!