First Presbyterian Theater hits the midway mark of its Season of Love with the upcoming Almost, Maine.

“John Cariani, the playwright, talks about how it’s a true romantic comedy,” director Todd Sandman Cruz said of Almost, Maine. “It’s not all lightness and pratfalls. It’s not a farce. It really does have situations that everybody can relate to, and not all of them are light and breezy. It’s fun, but there are some hard-hitting moments that make you think and laugh about at the same time. I think that’s why actors and directors love this material.”

There will be six weekend performances at the theater inside First Presbyterian Church from Jan. 26 to Feb. 4.

Growing popularity

First Presbyterian kicked off its five-show Season of Love with Bedroom Farce in August, followed by The Go-Gos’ inspired Head Over Heels in October. Whereas those productions are about love, they might lean more toward comedy than romance.

In Almost, Maine, we visit the fictional town of Almost, based on Cariani’s own hometown, where we peek into the lives of four couples on the night of the aurora borealis, also known as northern lights. 

“It’s a town of potato fields: not a lot of industry; not a lucrative place to live,” Sandman Cruz said. “It’s a little bit more of simple life. (The play) is all about the folks that live there. It’s a number of different scenes with the different couples and how they’re navigating their relationships.”

Cariani, who you might recognize from his time as Forensics Tech Beck on NBC’s Law & Order, premiered the play at the Portland Stage Company in Portland, Maine, in 2004 to critical acclaim. It went to open Off-Broadway, running for a month in 2006. 

Despite its short run, it’s impact has been felt widely. It’s been produced by nearly 100 professional theater companies, as well as more than 5,000 community, college, and high school theater companies.

“Almost, Maine is very popular among actors,” Sandman Cruz said. “One of the reasons why I did it is because I knew that. A number of the actors actually did it in high school and loved it so much that they wanted to be in it again.”

Expanded cast

The popularity of the play was evident when rehearsals were held in November. According to Sandman Cruz, nearly 50 people auditioned, which led him casting more people than usual for the show.

Like Bedroom Farce, Almost, Maine commonly uses four men and four women that play multiple roles. So, two actors might be a certain couple in one scene, then turn around and play a different couple later. 

“I decided, because it was the holidays and we have so much talent in this town, to cast all 19 roles,” Sandman Cruz said. “It really helps that they only have one scene to focus on and for us to focus on. It also gives us more time to get the detailed acting work that you don’t always get in a rehearsal period.”

The cast of Almost, Maine includes Joe Hyndman, Dotty Miller, Kenny Redd, Ashley Shewman, Matthew Morley, Bethany Schmitt, Daiesha Lindsey, Ryan Garringer, Alyssa Wellington, Quentin C. Jenkins, Alyssa Lay, Ennis Brown III, Andrew Bower, Bob Ahlersmeyer, Jen Poiry Prough, Thomas Wilson, Susannah Crockett, Bo Geyer, and Elizabeth Harber.

By expanding the cast, Sandman Cruz said he was also able to use actors that might not get as many opportunities as others.

“Not all actors are triple-threats or sing, and there’s a lot of musicals in this town,” he said. “I think there’s talent that we don’t always see. There’s a lot of talent that doesn’t sing. They just don’t get much of an opportunity from year to year.”

Along with the actors, First Presbyterian Theater Production Manager Rae Surface plays a pivotal role with the set design. And although there is a set, the use of light will be integral to the show.

“Some of the scenes take place indoors or outdoors, but it all takes place during deep winter in Maine,” Sandman Cruz said. “So, it’s going to have a real sense of the snowy outdoors, and lighting helps with that. The scene changes will be set through light.”

Coming up next

Once Almost, Maine wraps, the theater company’s Season of Love continues with The Prom, which will be performed in conjunction with Fort Wayne Youtheatre. 

The Prom will take place over three weekends, between March 1-17, telling the story of Broadway actors taking it upon themselves to convince a small-town Indiana school to allow a same-sex couple to prom. However, the out-of-towners might be biting off more than they can chew.

“The Prom is hysterically fun, but you also have a big social issue, big message,” Sandman Cruz said. “It’s all about the girl who wants to take her girlfriend to prom, but the PTA cancels the prom because of it. Then you have the four Broadway stars who are trying to fix their reputations, and they decide they need a cause.”

The season closes with a much different love story in The Father, which will take place from May 10-19.

“It’s about the love between a father and daughter, and the father is fighting dementia,” Sandman Cruz said. “It’s a Pulitzer-winning play, and Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar for it when it came out during COVID.

“It’s an amazing piece because as an audience member, you begin to get confused as he gets confused. You realize you don’t know who’s real and who’s not when he’s speaking with them.”

Although it won’t have the laughs you’ve come to expect from First Presbyterian Theater production, The Father does address a serious issue.

“It’s a massive problem facing the U.S. and also affecting Fort Wayne,” Sandman Cruz said. “My stepfather died of Alzheimer’s. It probably touches you or someone you know in some way. Especially my generation, those he went to high school in the ’80s. With our parents, we’re dealing with that right now. It’s important stuff.”