Written by John Cariani. Directed by Zachery Bridgman. Mockingbird Theatre. Belconnen Arts Centre. March 18-28.
It’s easy to see why Almost, Maine has become a much staged piece since it was first performed back in 2004. It’s one of those plays that can be adjusted to the needs of a large or small cast. There’s a large passing parade of characters, not all of whom return. Short scenes are the go and loose ends abound.
This perceptive and funny production works very well with just four actors and a heap of doubling and a snowy set with a wonderfully wide sky full of stars. Some of the stories that the audience are given a brief glimpse of are sad, some are happy; but there’s always more than a hint of a wider universe in the white snowy ground and the overarching sky.
A big group could have a different actor play each part across the multiple scenes and characters but this production makes a wise choice to give each of the four actors a chance to play a range. It’s also busy and it is sometimes hard to keep track.
Wendy Wakwella stands out for a particularly tough character who has no idea about love but is delighted to learn by doing.
Jayde Dowhy is especially moving as the woman who comes back to say yes to a partner who has moved on instead of waiting for her answer.
Alastair McKenzie is touching as the bloke who gets a revenge tattoo after being dumped, only to find a kind of hope in its misspelling.
And Alexander Wilson makes something gentle of the young man who is trying, with a snowball in his hand representing the earth, to explain something about distance and closeness.
There’s much more going on and there are performance variations which mean that different audiences might see different casting in the odd scene. To go into more detail would be to spoil the fragility of this script.
An atmospheric play, full of feeling.
Alanna Maclean
