Next Act’s ‘Almost, Maine’ is Woodsy, Romantic Charmer

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Photo by Michael Brosilow

Jake Horstmeier and Rachael Zientek in Next Act Theatre's ‘Almost, Maine’

Jake Horstmeier and Rachael Zientek in Next Act Theatre's ‘Almost, Maine’

You can’t find the location of Almost, Maine on any map. That’s because the inhabitants of this forested landscape in upper Maine never bothered to properly incorporate their area into a town. That’s a clue for what lies ahead in Almost, Maine, which opened last weekend at Next Act Theatre. The clever and (mostly) uplifting play is actually a collection of brief vignettes all loosely linked and limited to the confines of this remote area. The production, by Next Act Theatre, continues through December 15.

As imagined by playwright John Cariani, Almost, Maine is often as mysterious as its title. Various characters come and go in about nine scenes (four actors play 19 characters). The entire production runs 2 hours and 15 minutes, including a brief intermission. 

Although the subject is love, a topic that everyone knows at least something about, it emerges here in strange ways. Abruptly, the audience is made aware of literal translations to well-known phrases such as, “the other shoe is about to drop” and “falling in love.” As a character states, “strange things happen when you’re away from the city.” He’s not kidding.

Some Milwaukee theatergoers may recall that another local theater company staged this play a number of years ago. One shouldn’t be surprised if some of those same theatergoers already have tickets for the current Next Act production. This is a play that may need more than one viewing to fully understand the subtle interplay between text and characters. Almost, Maine may seem very simple at the outset, but it becomes more complex as the scenes continue. 

A Truly Hilarious Experience

One characteristic that doesn’t vary is the show’s sense of humor, which seems to emanate from the material itself. After all, who would ever suspect that the audience would laugh at a line such as, “Are you a lobsterman?” 

The entire show takes place during a series of cold winter nights in northern Maine. In fact, one of the funniest scenes takes place when two longtime single friends (a man and a woman) discover that there’s more heat to their relationship than they imagined. When their spark finally catches, they can’t seem to undress soon enough. It’s not quite the fantasy sequence one might expect, as they must peel off multiple layers, such as stocking caps, heavy boots, chest-high snowpants, long underwear, etc. Now that’s funny, especially to Midwest audiences. 

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Photo by Michael Brosilow

Rudy Galvan and Bree Beelow in Next Act Theatre's ‘Almost, Maine’

Rudy Galvan and Bree Beelow in Next Act Theatre's ‘Almost, Maine’

Romance Among the Pines 

Another scene seems reminiscent of the popular local musical, Guys on Ice. Here, two guys wearing winter gear take a break from tromping through the woods. They sit on their plastic coolers and pop open cans of beer. They talk about hanging out at the snowmobile club, going bowling, and tipping a few afterwards at the local bar. They bemoan their latest date nights, both of which have ended in disaster. Suddenly, things take an unlikely turn. It seems that, even beneath a snowy Maine landscape, love seems to bloom.

That’s the charm of this 2004 comedy—you never know what will come next. 

Almost, Maine had a brief Off-Broadway run in 2006, and it has been staged by regional theaters myriad times since then. It also has become one of the most popular plays to be staged in high schools. 

One cannot imagine a tighter cast than the one assembled here by director Karen Estrada. Herself a well-known local actor, Estrada has selected other local talent (Rachael Zientek and Bree Beelow) and matched them with Jake Horstmeier (making his Next Act debut) and New York actor Rudy Galvan (who also appeared in The Mousetrap). All of the actors are incredibly nimble at switching identities, sometimes within seconds. They lend the show a great deal of professional polish.

The play’s dreamy, somewhat unspecific location is visually projected by a stylized outdoor set (by Lisa Schlender). Given the show’s minimal numbers of props, one has a great deal of time to view the wavy trees, benches and rocks, all of which suggest touches of Vincent Van Gogh. The trees also have a slightly surreal, almost two-dimensional quality, which is enhanced by Greg Hofmann’s lighting (especially the scenes featuring the Northern Lights). Amy Horst’s costumes involve utilitarian outdoor gear and indoor casual wear (think plaids). The show’s sense of “reality” is enhanced by the realistic sound effects and compositions by Brian Grimm.

It goes without saying that Almost, Maine is a perfect date-night destination. Even married couples, with more than a few years under their belts, will find the show to be a heart-warming delight. That’s a lot to offer on a cold night, whether in Maine or Milwaukee.  

Almost, Maine continues through December 15 at the Next Act Theatre, 255 S. Water St., just beyond Milwaukee’s Third Ward. Parking is free and easily accessible in the theater’s parking lot or along neighboring streets. For tickets, visit nextact.org, or call the box office at 414-278-0765.