Grab your snow gear, gas up your snowmobile and join the Neosho County Community College Department of Theatre at 7 p.m. on Nov. 1-2 to meet the good people of Almost, Maine.
The play, “Almost, Maine” by John Cariani, is a series of vignettes that explore love and loss in a remote, mythical “almost-town” called Almost, Maine.
“We are thrilled to bring the enchanting world of ‘Almost, Maine’ to the NCCC stage,” said NCCC theatre instructor Kyle Chesney. “This play weaves together heartfelt stories of love and loss that are both magical and deeply human. Our cast and crew have worked hard to capture the spirit of this mythical town, and we can’t wait to share these touching moments with our community.”
The fictional New England town of Almost is buried in snow. Like Peter Pan’s Neverland, Cariani’s love-soaked setting is not located on a typical map. The northern lights add their own flickers of magic above, which some believe are the souls of the departed, watching over them. Actors weave in and out of nine different stories that tell the tale of the nearly 20 residents of the town. One resident says, “The farthest away you can be from somebody is right next to them” explaining how, over time, people grow in distance, in terms of physical relation to each other.
The play premiered in Portland, Maine, in 2004 where it broke box office records, quickly becoming one of the most produced works in the United States before arriving on the stage at NCCC.
Cast members include Josiah Bates, Eric Blakesy, Samantha Cox, Lillyanna Gonsalves, Carley Jarman, Kyle Knouf, Josie McMahan, Mathew Murphey, O’Neal Smith, Atticus Summers and Gabe Wolf.
Members of the crew include Nicole Graham, Dorothy Mellott, Justin Ndindiri, Violet Simmons and Libby Swafford.
“Almost, Maine” tickets can be purchased for $5. Admission is free for NCCC students, faculty and staff, as well as seniors 65 years and up.