Almost, Maine
By John Cariani, Directed by Frank Rakas
Almost, Maine opened the 60th season for YCP TheaterWorks and was performed November 8 through 17, 2019. The production was directed by Frank Rakas and featured the acting talents of: Scott Faubel, Lori A. Federico, Dan Forman, Kelly Kirby, Gregory McCormack, Robert Molloy, Betsy Miller, Elizabeth Moritz, Mel Nocera, Ruby Ellen Rocco, Gary Simon, Jacqueline Anne Smith, Jessica Spiegel & Karen Symington.
A woman carries her heart, broken into nineteen pieces, in a small paper bag. A man shrinks to half his former size, after losing hope in love. A couple keep the love they have given each other in large red bags, or compress the mass into the size of a diamond. These playful and surreal experiences are commonplace in the world of John Cariani’s Almost, Maine, where on one deeply cold and magical Midwinter Night, the citizens of Almost — not organized enough for a town, too populated for a wilderness — experience the life-altering power of the human heart. Relationships end, begin, or change beyond recognition, as strangers become friends, friends become lovers, and lovers turn into strangers. Propelled by the mystical energy of the aurora borealis and populated with characters that are humorous, plain-spoken, thoughtful, and sincere, Almost, Maine is a series of loosely connected tales about love, each with a compelling couple at its center, each with its own touch of sorcery.