'Almost, Maine' by John Cariani, currently in performance at Dutch Country Players in Telford, is a play about a mythical, but representative œtown in northern Maine 160 miles from Orono, called Almost.
Almost is actually an organization instead of a town because they œcould not get organized so it is œAlmost a town. 
'Almost, Maine' is about multiple facets of love. The play is a set of vignettes that all happen at 9PM on a, according to the program, œcold, clear, moonless, slightly surreal Friday night. Eight couples act out eight, unique, creative stories on the theme of the trials and rewards of love. A ninth couple appears briefly at the beginning, intermission, and end in a cute vignette that sets the theme for the show.
Before I went to the show, I knew from the cast list that four actors would play nine couples so I went to the play with a sense of uncertainty. I had attended several performances of 39 Steps. In the professional version, they had two actors play almost all the parts except the two leads. Two actors playing what seemed like 50 different roles confused me. This made that play hard to follow. I hoped this would not happen in Almost, Maine and it did not.
The audience and I found much to enjoy in Almost, Maine and nothing confusing.
The ensemble cast of Brent Adams, Dan DiStefano, Linda Friday, and Michelle Rieder moved between characters and across partners. Each member of the cast took on different types of roles. Some of the roles worked quite well and others were not as strong. Some of the vignettes lacked a compelling chemistry between the actors, while others lifted your spirit and pulled you into the characters experience.
The script has many opportunities for funny word gags, sight gags, and situation gags. The audience and I laughed often during the show. There were some outstanding highlights. One vignette, œWhere it went, was a charming piece of precious poignancy. It was a magical combination of effective acting by Brent Adams and Linda Friday; compelling script; and creative direction by Barry Crush. However, I left the show wondering why such a creative script with such engaging dialogue did not have more emotional impact on me.
A play is good if it has a great script and an adequate cast or if it has an adequate script and a great cast. Almost, Maine had both but rarely at the same time. When the script was at its sharpest, it helped the acting. When the script lagged, the acting carried the day. The performance of most of the actors was the same across most of the characters they played. There was consistency of characterization across the vignettes, as the actors seemed to play different characters in the same way. At times, actors showed little difference of characterization across characters in different scenarios.
The set and the lighting were minimal yet effective. They provided the visual cues that framed the vignettes and oriented the action. In some shows, the lighting or the set become the star of the show and in others they become the pillars on which an effective play can be performed. The scenery and lighting in Almost, Maine is an example of the latter and was much appreciated by me.
The costuming did not fit my impressions of the people I have known in wilderness towns of northern New England. In my experience, they never wore clean, unstained, un-ripped clothes and new boots in the middle of winter. This is a minor point, but when I mentioned the costuming concern to my companion she said it bothered her also. For me, it was like watching the extras playing the Amish in the movie Witness and noticing none of them looked Amish. If the lighting and scenery supported the show, the costuming made me think of the outdoor clothing section at a Tractor Supply Company store.
The show is an enjoyable, uplifting experience that is worth the trip. There are some excellent restaurants near the theater. Dinner and this show would make a memorable night out. Almost, Maine continues through Sunday, September 30th. Shows are at 8PM on Friday and Saturday with a 2PM matinee on Sundays. Adult tickets are $15. Seniors and Children under 12 are $13. The laughs are well worth the money.
Andrew Ferrous can be reached at