THE STORY: Welcome to Almost, Maine, a place that’s so far north, it’s almost not in the United States. It’s almost in Canada. And it’s not quite a town, because its residents never got around to getting organized. So it almost doesn’t exist. One cold, clear, winter night, as the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, the residents of Almost, Maine, find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and hilarious ways. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. But the bruises heal, and the hearts mend—almost—in this delightful midwinter night’s dream.

“ALMOST, MAINE is a series of nine amiably absurdist vignettes about love, with a touch of good-natured magic realism…witty, romantic, unsentimental. A beautifully structured play, with nifty surprise endings (most but not all of them happy).” —NY Times. “Sweet, poignant, and witty. Nearly perfect. ALMOST, MAINE’s charm is real. [It] packs wit, earns its laughs and, like love, surprises you.” —NY Daily News. “Mega-hit ALMOST, MAINE lands somewhere between Norman Rockwell and Our Town. Unabashedly unhip. There is no pretense of an edge here—the show offers a sweetness and decency that’s become rare at the theater. At this point, it’s a welcome breath of fresh air.” —New York Post.

John CarianiSee play(s)

John Cariani is an actor and a playwright. He has appeared on Broadway and Off Broadway, at regional theaters across the country, and in several films and television shows. He’s been nominated for a Tony Award and has done movies with Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, and Ed Asner. Most people seem to know him from “Law & Order,” where his character, Forensics Tech Beck, is alive and well in reruns. As a playwright, John is best known for his first play, ALMOST, MAINE, which premiered at Portland (Maine) Stage Company in 2004 and opened Off-Broadway in 2006. It has since become one of the most frequently produced plays in the United States and has been translated into nearly twenty languages. His other plays include CUL-DE-SAC (Transport Group), LAST GAS (Portland Stage Company, Geva Theater Center), and LOVE/SICK (Portland Stage Company, Hartford TheaterWorks). Both ALMOST, MAINE and LAST GAS are published by Dramatists Play Service. Originally from Presque Isle, Maine, John is a graduate of Amherst College. He lives in New York City.