In his director’s notes, Chris Walljasper says, "Comedy is sometimes best found in some of the most serious situations. It is this balance of humor and drama that makes ALMOST, MAINE so engaging." Despite my more-than-sufficient faith in my abilities as a writer, I’m not completely sure I can say it any better.
Below you will find my brief attempt at doing just that.
As the first show produced at the Harrison Hilltop Theatre – though not the first BY the organization, as HHT had its first show ready for audiences before the building itself – ALMOST, MAINE is a more than adequate inaugural event.
John Cariani’s comedy is both sweet and eccentric, and Walljasper lets that odd mixture shine in his adept staging of this very funny show. He simply stages each scene – all are in or around what is described as a "small, remote, mythical ‘town’ in northern Maine" – in various areas of the open spaces in the theater. A bench and a few more small pieces of furniture occasionally are used to delineate a scene’s location, but that is all – the focus is so completely on the actors and the lines they deliver.
The result is a collection of small, intersecting, totally charming romantic comedies that are nothing short of superb.
The six ensemble actors – James Bleeker (on the left in photo, above), Jaci Entwhistle, J.W. Hertner, Daniel Schaub, Annie Shortridge and Jessica Stratton (in above photo, on the right) – each play three roles, portraying the characters and their relationships in every possible stage of romance and its aftermath. The results are sometimes delicate and sweet, occasionally painful, and almost always sharp and funny.
The fresh, straightforward delivery that all these performers use is incredibly effective – giving each role an immediacy and a genuinely engaging hook that keeps the audience completely in thrall from the first lines to the very last one. There’s not a single false note in any of these portrayals, allowing HHT’s ALMOST, MAINE to showcase first-rate writing and equally superb acting.
Based on the quality of this early offering – and the stunning array of talent on display in it – Harrison Hilltop promises to become another fine example of the kind of high-quality theater that sets this region apart from any comparable community anywhere.
ALMOST, MAINE
