Next Act Theatre presents ALMOST, MAINE

Jake Horstmeier and Rudy Galvan in ALMOST, MAINE with Next Act Theatre in Milwaukee, through December 15, 2024. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

By Mary Boyle
 
In 2004, when American playwright John Cariani’s play made its premiere in Portland, Maine, it broke box office records and, in the two decades since, has gone on to be the most produced play in American high schools.  This popularity in high schools is due largely to the play’s ability to be  cast with as little as four actors or as many as nineteen, and also because the set design and costumes can be acquired quite easily, which is perfect for a theatre program on a tight budget; however, there’s more to it than simply numbers.  The play is comprised of nine different short plays that all share a common theme and a common place.  The theme is love and, at a glance, that may seem too simple or quaint, yet it has demonstrated a universal appeal.  The place is derived from the playwright’s home state but, technically speaking, it isn’t a place at all; it’s ALMOST, MAINE, and Milwaukee area audiences have the opportunity to see what a professional theatre company can do with this production through December 15th at Next Act Theatre.

Directed by Milwaukee’s own Karen Estrada, Almost, Maine works well as a holiday show because it is set in wintertime in the state that is so far north it’s practically Canada.  The characters are all around the same age and from the same community, with characters from one vignette often mentioned in others, but the one thing they all have in common is that they are experiencing love in some way: the beginning or ending, the losing or finding, or the everyday miracles that occur with the transformative power of love.  While sometimes silly and sappy, there is also the sharpness and sadness when, on occasion, the characters’ lives resemble our own truths a little too closely. 

The cast of four is comprised of actors who are frequently seen on Milwaukee area stages, though two are new to Next Act Theatre, with each actor playing 4-5 different characters.  Rachael Zientek (Unnecessary Farce with Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Newsies with Skylight Music Theatre, Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are In A Play” with First Stage) and Jake Horstmeier (Noises Off! with Skylight Music Theatre) make their Next Act debuts, while Rudy Galvan (The Mousetrap with Next Act) and Bree Beelow make a return.  The cast is very well balanced, cohesive, and equally talented, transitioning with ease between characters while always seeming well matched in each combination.  The simple but effective scenic design by Lisa Schlenker ties the production together with a festive Northwoods bow.
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Sweet, endearing, and full of heart, Almost, Maine is like a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream and sprinkles in front of the fire on a cold winter night.  In fact, I’d highly recommend making a date night out of this show, accompanied by dinner at any number of nearby Milwaukee restaurants (I tried Café Benelux, just a short drive away in the Third Ward, and enjoyed a boozy peppermint mocha with my dinner, which was delightful!).
 
ALMOST, MAINE runs through December 15th, 2024, at the artistic home of Next Act Theatre, located at 255 S. Water Street in Milwaukee.  Tickets may be purchased by calling (414) 278-0765 or online at www.nextact.org.
 
About Next Act Theatre
Since 1990, Next Act Theatre has been engaging the hearts and minds of audiences with intimate, compelling productions intended to stimulate thought, foster the exchange of ideas, and promote the development of new perspectives and understanding.  Next Act believes that stories work best when they involve characters in the midst of a struggle or a quest. Audiences identify with them, becoming emotionally and intellectually invested. The character’s situation, tragedy or triumph becomes the audiences’ to endure, mourn or celebrate. The theatre proves itself, then, as essential to the nourishment of our human spirit by bringing us together to examine, experience and explore the human condition, perhaps coming away with knowledge and perspective that only a good story can deliver.