Matters of the heart explored in Lamb production
By Joanne Fox Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, September 14, 2007
Just like the mythical village of Brigadoon where a young woman sings, "It's almost like being in love," the next play at Lamb Productions examines the "almost" of love in another whimsical town.
"Almost, Maine," is a romantic comedy comprised of a series of eight vignettes that explores the joy and perils of romance.
The northern town of Almost, as one local explains, "not an actual town" because "we never got around to getting organized," presents tightly-interlaced lives, as distinct as Lake Wobegon, Minn. or Cicely, Alaska, home of television's "Northern Exposure."
The action takes place on a Friday night in the middle of winter, where Almost residents are falling in and out of love at an alarming rate, said Russ Wooley, director of the production.
"The show is all about love and romance, finding it, losing it and laughing about it," he said.
One vignette called "Sad and Glad," examines the interaction of Jimmy (Matt Rixner) and Sandrine (Jennifer Buezekom) as they encounter each other in the local pub, the Moose Paddy. As they remember and recall their previous relationship, the waitress (Melissa Hunt) steps in to try and bring them back together.
In "Where It Went," a married couple, Phil (Alan Fredericksen) and Marci (Sarah Hinds Case) have just finished ice skating. As they prepare to pack up and leave, they can't find her shoe and what follows provides an insight as to where their love, as well as that missing shoe, might have gone.
The joy and hesitancy of the possibility of love is addressed in "This Hurts." Steve (Michael Rohlena) is working on books while his laundry processes and Marvalyn (Buezekom) is ironing when the two start talking, taking them in a particular direction until it's revealed that she has a boyfriend.
"Almost, Maine" premiered in the fall of 2004 at the Portland Stage Company in Maine and moved to off-Broadway in January of 2006.
"I read dozens of plays every season and love to produce brand new things," Wooley said about his choice of the show. "That's when the audience has the joy of discovery, not knowing where the punch lines are and not knowing what will happen next."
That can turn out to be a double-edged sword, Wooley acknowledged.
"Sometimes people hesitate to give a new work a chance, but the reviews on this have been very good," he noted. "It's been called 'the perfect date show,' 'absolutely delightful' and 'time well spent.' I think that speaks highly of the production.
Playwright John Cariani based the show on his personal experience of growing up in a Northern Maine town. Cariani is also an actor, best known for his Tony-nominated performance as Motel the tailor in the recent Broadway revival of "Fiddler on the Roof."
"Good romantic comedies are few and far between," Wooley said. "This one is a good one that anyone would enjoy."
Almost, Maine" opens Sept. 14 and runs through Oct. 7 at Lamb Productions, 417 Market St. Curtain is 7:30 p.m. with two Sunday matinees at 1:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $22 for Friday/Saturday; adult Thursday/Sunday are $20 and senior citizens and students on Thursday/Sunday are $17. Tickets are available at the door or by calling the box office, Monday through Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. at 255-9536. For one performance on Sept. 28, audience members are invited to "Beer Night," during which they can meet the cast and enjoy a flight of specialty beers presented by Sweet Fanny's for $15.
"Almost, Maine," is a romantic comedy comprised of a series of eight vignettes that explores the joy and perils of romance.
The northern town of Almost, as one local explains, "not an actual town" because "we never got around to getting organized," presents tightly-interlaced lives, as distinct as Lake Wobegon, Minn. or Cicely, Alaska, home of television's "Northern Exposure."
The action takes place on a Friday night in the middle of winter, where Almost residents are falling in and out of love at an alarming rate, said Russ Wooley, director of the production.
"The show is all about love and romance, finding it, losing it and laughing about it," he said.
One vignette called "Sad and Glad," examines the interaction of Jimmy (Matt Rixner) and Sandrine (Jennifer Buezekom) as they encounter each other in the local pub, the Moose Paddy. As they remember and recall their previous relationship, the waitress (Melissa Hunt) steps in to try and bring them back together.
In "Where It Went," a married couple, Phil (Alan Fredericksen) and Marci (Sarah Hinds Case) have just finished ice skating. As they prepare to pack up and leave, they can't find her shoe and what follows provides an insight as to where their love, as well as that missing shoe, might have gone.
The joy and hesitancy of the possibility of love is addressed in "This Hurts." Steve (Michael Rohlena) is working on books while his laundry processes and Marvalyn (Buezekom) is ironing when the two start talking, taking them in a particular direction until it's revealed that she has a boyfriend.
"Almost, Maine" premiered in the fall of 2004 at the Portland Stage Company in Maine and moved to off-Broadway in January of 2006.
"I read dozens of plays every season and love to produce brand new things," Wooley said about his choice of the show. "That's when the audience has the joy of discovery, not knowing where the punch lines are and not knowing what will happen next."
That can turn out to be a double-edged sword, Wooley acknowledged.
"Sometimes people hesitate to give a new work a chance, but the reviews on this have been very good," he noted. "It's been called 'the perfect date show,' 'absolutely delightful' and 'time well spent.' I think that speaks highly of the production.
Playwright John Cariani based the show on his personal experience of growing up in a Northern Maine town. Cariani is also an actor, best known for his Tony-nominated performance as Motel the tailor in the recent Broadway revival of "Fiddler on the Roof."
"Good romantic comedies are few and far between," Wooley said. "This one is a good one that anyone would enjoy."
Almost, Maine" opens Sept. 14 and runs through Oct. 7 at Lamb Productions, 417 Market St. Curtain is 7:30 p.m. with two Sunday matinees at 1:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $22 for Friday/Saturday; adult Thursday/Sunday are $20 and senior citizens and students on Thursday/Sunday are $17. Tickets are available at the door or by calling the box office, Monday through Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. at 255-9536. For one performance on Sept. 28, audience members are invited to "Beer Night," during which they can meet the cast and enjoy a flight of specialty beers presented by Sweet Fanny's for $15.
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