NORTHUMBERLAND — Couples looking for a way to celebrate Valentine’s Day will find a delightful option at the Westmoreland Players Theatre, 16217 Richmond Road, Callao, where the romantic comedy “Almost, Maine,” by John Cariani, will open February 9.
Billed as a “Midwinter’s Night Dream,” the play is a series of 10 rapid-fire romantic duets occurring at exactly the same moment on one magical night at various locations in a small town that isn’t actually a town and that doesn’t quite exist, reported director and producer Nancy Royall. In the town of “Almost,” assorted lovers and strangers almost make commitments, almost call it quits, almost confess their love, almost swear off romance, almost try again and almost decide to just be friends. Each scene reaches its crescendo at the same enchanted moment, when the northern lights flash and the magic happens.
The play includes 19 colorful but intensely human characters coping with the challenges of love, friendship, hope and regret. Among them are Glory, who carries her broken heart in a cloth bag; Steve, who can’t feel physical pain but knows the hurt of loneliness; Gayle, who tries to unload all the love her boyfriend has given her after 11 years of waiting for him to “do what comes next;” Jimmy, a jilted lover with a botched tattoo; Hope, who returns home to answer a proposal she ignored years before; and Rhonda, a beer-drinking snowmobile champ who both fears and craves intimacy.
“Almost, Maine is in equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking,” said Royall. “It is one of the most popular plays being produced in regional and community theaters around the world. Its characters and dilemmas will enchant and delight audiences of all ages.”
The characters are portrayed by 14 different actors, including John Pitman, who has appeared on the Westmoreland Players stage over 20 times since 2013, and Amanda Schimmoller, who is making her Players debut as Sandrine, a gentle soul who has to break some difficult news to her ex-boyfriend.
“Almost, Maine” will open with a gala at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the opening night gala are $40 for adults and $27 for students.
The production will continue with 7:30 p.m. shows February 10, 16, 17 and 23, and 3 p.m. February 11, 18, 24 and 25. Tickets for the remaining shows are $30 for adults and $17 for students.
Purchase tickets at westmorelandplayers.org/tickets or call 529-9345.
