“Welcome to Almost, Maine, a place that’s so far north, it’s almost not in the United States. It’s almost in Canada. And it’s not quite a town, because its residents never got around to getting organized. So it almost doesn’t exist. One cold, clear, winter night, as the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, the residents of Almost, Maine, find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and hilarious ways. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. But the bruises heal, and the hearts mend—almost—in this delightful midwinter night’s dream.”
From January 31 to February 11, travel to Almost, Maine at Kanata Theatre. Written by John Cariani, Almost, Maine consists of nine loosely connected tales exploring love and loss in a remote, mythical almost-town. All these scenes take place in the same ten-to-fifteen-minute window around 9:00 p.m. on a cold, clear Friday night in the middle of a Northern Maine winter. The play features doses of magical realism, surrealism, and absurdist comedy.
Director Wendy Wagner explains that the play was originally written for a cast of 4 but could be played by as many as 22 actors. “I have a cast of six actors to play the 22 roles. The actors are Nicholas Maillet, Bernie Horton, Guy Buller, Shirley Manh, Jennifer Pfitzer, and Shauna MacEachern. All actors have at least three roles, some have four.”
Wendy shares that one of the scenes in the second act will be presented “in repertory.” Originally written by the author to be played by two men, “They Fell” was re-written with a female version as well. Kanata Theatre will present this scene alternately with the men performing it one night and the ladies the next night.
Most of the cast and crew helping to bring Almost, Maine to life are from the Ottawa area. Wendy is very excited to announce that she has been working with local musician/composer J. Leonard Hopkins, “This is their first time creating music for a live theatre show and the music is amazing as it evokes all the feelings these characters feel.”
Almost, Maine opens on January 31st and closes on February 11th. Showing at Ron Maslin Playhouse, the play runs Tuesday to Saturday both weeks and starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase online or from the box office at 613-831-4435.