As the sounds of iconic love songs filled the air, the RWU Theatre set the mood for the romantic scenes the audience was about to experience. “Almost, Maine” by John Cariani transports viewers to the fictional town of Almost, Maine, an unorganized township in Northern Maine—hence the name “Almost.” The play is made up of eight separate, though interrelated, stories of love and loss that take place on the same night throughout the town. 

   Though simplistic in its set-up—with only a projector, a few raised platforms, and the occasional prop—the cast delivered such an enticing performance that it felt like you were actually there with the characters. One of the major highlights throughout the entire play was its use of comedy, which served to lighten up some of the heavier scenes and made the viewing experience very entertaining. 

The overall feel of the play was very whimsical, what with the far away setting and the somewhat eccentric behaviour of the characters. With broken hearts in bags and individuals physically falling in love, one could never be sure what was going to happen next.

   There are only two recurring characters in the entire play, which allowed many members of the cast to showcase their talents in starring roles. The characters of Pete and Ginitte appear in the prologue, interlogue, and the epilogue—their presence acting as a constant thread that ties the whole of the play together into a satisfactory bow.

These characters start the play off with Ginitte claiming she has never felt closer to Pete. Pete then pulls out a snowball and points out that they could be considered as far apart as possible depending on one’s perspective of which way around the ball they were. Ginitte then walks away, leading to a few humorous scenes of Pete waiting for her to come back and lamenting that he has lost her. It is not until the end of the play that we get a resolution, with Ginitte coming back to Pete from the other direction—essentially having walked around the entire Earth just to get closer to him. 

   In between Pete and Ginitte’s story, we are shown seven other scenes of various characters experiencing love and loss. This play is perfect for fans of romance tropes as the production has them in spades! We have the old reliable ‘love at first sight’, the ‘friends to lovers’ trope, and even the ‘miscommunication’ trope. Any type of story you could want out of a romantic comedy can be found right here.

   So whether you are looking for a romantic evening of your own or are just looking to support your talented classmates, “Almost, Maine” is the play for you.