Illuminated by the glow of the aurora borealis, John Cariani’s “Almost, Maine” puts the heartwarming, surreal and sometimes comical nature of love on full display at C.A. Roberson Theater on SE Campus.
The romantic comedy-drama, showing from April 22-24, is composed of several vignettes that explore both magical and human elements of love when the northern lights appear above the isolated town of Almost, Maine.
“The play does a good job in conveying that the universe throws the unexpected at us every day, so there is always a chance to reinvent your circumstances and relationships,” Director Angela Inman said. “This is a feel-good play, which is exactly what we need right now just prior to final exams.”
Noah Flores, who has been acting for 10 years, said “Almost, Maine” carries both comedic and heavy-hitting tones across vignettes linked by the theme of love in its many forms.
“The theme is ‘almost.’ All the scenes take place within the same 10-to-15-minute timeframe, and it’s ‘I almost saved my relationship, I almost ended my relationship, I almost could do this or that,’ but it never quite clicks,” he said.
Through intimate character moments and magical realism, the actors hope to entertain while also creating moments audiences can relate to.
“A lot of the scenes symbolize something everybody has experienced: heartbreak, and it’s very literal,” actor Natalynn Spann said. “There’s a scene where a heart is in a bag and it’s actually broken.”
A recurring visual element across the vignettes is the aurora borealis, which provides a canvas for creative sets and lighting design. The lighting enhances the minimal set, allowing for seamless and efficient transitions between scenes
“The play centers around the townspeople of Almost, Maine, falling in and out of love as the Northern Lights work their ‘magic’ on the town,” Inman said. “Laura Claycamp, our lighting designer, has created a design that incorporates the magic and mystery of that phenomenon through the use of color and movement.”
Producing a play with so many short scenes and character arcs presents a challenge to actors and crew.
Actor and assistant stage manager Tamia Tubbs noted that double-cast actors take on roles in multiple vignettes throughout the production, requiring them to develop distinct styles for each character.
“Since we have so many scenes to rehearse, trying to fit the rehearsals into a doable schedule that works around student actors’ classes and employment commitments has been a challenge,” Inman said. “[There’s] 18 hours of rehearsals each week, in addition to students assisting with scenery construction, costume fittings, running lines and all of the other tasks that go into creating a production. I think we will all need a long nap when this is over.”
“Almost, Maine” opens at 7:30 p.m. April 22 at C.A. Roberson Theater on the SE Campus and runs through April 24, with a 1:30 p.m. performance on the final day. The play is recommended for mature audiences, and children under 6 will not be admitted. Admission is pay-what-you-can, with all proceeds supporting TCC-SE drama scholarships.
