Almost, Maine

Travel across the country to Almost, Maine by simply strolling  downtown to the La Crosse Community Theatre for their newest production.  Cozy up for a couple hours and be entertained by what the New York Times has called "love in the time of frostbite" during the heart of winter.  

Almost, Maine is a play by American actor John Cariani and is based on sketches of Maine life he composed for use in auditions. It premiered Off Broadway in New York in 2006 where it flopped.  But since then it has reached the grasp of high school theatre departments and has been very well received all over the country.  Director Greg Parmeter is especially excited about the opportunity and remains optimistic that audiences will love the performance.

"Almost, Maine didn't do very well in New York because to them it was unrealistic," said Parmeter. Now the play is one of the most popular productions in the country.  Midwesterners love the performance because they are able to identify with Almost. It is a romantic comedy like slapstick or farce and is set in a small, isolated town.  "It could be called Almost, Wisconsin, Almost Minnesota, or Almost, Iowa," added Parmeter.

Almost, Maine takes place on a cold, clear, moonless night in the middle of winter, and all is not quite what it seems in the remote, mythical town of Almost, Maine.   As the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, Almost's residents find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and hilarious ways. Knees are bruised and hearts are broken but the bruises heal, and the hearts mend, for the most part in this delightful midwinter night's dream.  

There are four actors who depict nine different scenes and the play lasts approximately two hours. Auditions were held Dec. 13 and 14 and the parts were cast to Stacy Bruemmer, Tim Harris, Kelley M. Manson and Dan Radke.

"[Almost, Maine] would make a charming date because the guys would love it too.  They wouldn't walk out thinking that it was a chick-flick and part of the charm of the piece is that you follow the actors more than the characters," said Parmeter.

Almost, Maine will be shown Jan. 28-Feb. 13, every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Tickets went on sale for patrons on Jan. 3 and went on sale for the general public on Jan. 17.  The cost is $22 for adults, $10 for students and military personnel.  Call the Box Office at 608-782-9292 ext. 2 for tickets or visit www.lacrossecommitytheatre.org.