ALMOST, MAINE: Comedy by John Cariani.Directed by Carol Chacon. Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St, Alameda, CA. (510) 523-1553 or www.altarena.org. March 14 – April 13, 2014.
ALMOST, MAINE pleases at Altarena [rating:2] (5/5 stars)
Almost, Maine is a series of nine vignettes about the universal joys and pain of love encapsulated in the frigid mythical town of Almost, Maine. The first vignette is split into three very, very short segments comprising the Prologue for the first half of the show, an ‘Interlogue’ for the second act and an Epilogue that slyly/saccharinely suggests/enforces the platitude that absence makes the heart grow fonder and what goes around comes around.
The segments all range about 15 minutes or so and all are mostly two-handers with four competent actors playing 19 different characters. Many of the roles are similar and the cast does a creditable job giving each distinctive qualities. Author John Cariani does add specific traits to each individual but by the end of the evening (this reviewer attended a matinee) they all seem to blend into generic men and women with two or three being memorable.
Creating the mythical town of Almost, Maine gives the author leeway to inject fantasy and whimsy into everyday trials and tribulations of loving couples. First there are the glorious and mystical Northern Lights that fascinate Glory (not to subtle is it?) and later shooting stars for making wishes (beware of what you wish for) and so on. All the individual stories take place on a Friday night.
Speaking of Glory, in scene 1 entitled “Her Heart”, she carries her broken heart in a paper bag and luck/fate/kismet intervenes on her journey to view the northern lights. She meets East, a repairman and you guessed it, he ends up putting together the broken pieces of ceramic heart.
Almost, Maine has become the most produced play in the the United States by community theaters and High Schools. There have been dozens of international venues. It requires only four actors and needs minimal staging. To date there has been nearly 2000 productions.
The titles, in the order that Altarena has used are “Her Heart”, “Sad and Glad”, “This Hurts”, “Getting It Back”, “They Fell”, “Where it Went”, “Story of Hope” and “Seeing the Thing.” You will have your own favorites. Three of mine being “That Hurts” with Steve Rhyne and Donna Turner with an ironing board being the major prop. “Getting it Back” with Emily Garcia and Stewart Lyle exploring the inequality of love given and taken and is it possible to get it back. The there are the slapstick shenanigans of Rhyne and Lyle playing two dear macho men who literally and actually fall for each other. As an afterthought, you will find out what happens when the other shoe falls and what happens when you mistakenly wish on a planet and not a real shooting star in “Where it Went.”
Running time a little over two hours with a 15 minute intermission.
Cast: Steve Rhyne (Pete, Jimmy, Steve, Chad, Daniel); Emily Garcia (Ginette, Sandrine, Gayle, Marci); Stewart Lyle (East, Lendall, Randy, Phil, Dave); Donna Turner (Glory, Waitress, Marvalyn, Hope, Rhonda ).
Production Staff: Artistic Director, Producer, Frederick L. Chacon; Director, Carol Chacon; Technical Director, Set Design/Construction, Stewart Lyle; Stage Manager, llona Herbert; Sound Design, Fred diNatale; Scenic Painter, Darrell Burson; Light Design/Construction, Frederick L. Chacon; Costume Design, Sydney Micheals; Props, Frederick and Carol Chacon; Stage Crew, Nikki Eggett, John Rivard, Nadine Paulino; House Manager, Star Valdez; Box Office Manager, Elaine Henninger; Photography, Patrick Tracy; Program, Laurel Wilton; Ushers, Bayview Women’s Club.
Kedar K. Adour, MD
Courtesy of www.theathreworldinternetmagazine.com
