Milwaukee Rep Examines Love in ‘Almost, Maine’

On a Friday nightin the deep of winter, the residents of the remote, fictional town in Almost, Maine let their love storiesunfold, revealing how feelings of affection and attachment can swing from easyand uncomplicated to painful and confounding, and how wildly unpredictable theconsequences of their actions can be.

Written byplaywright and actor John Cariani, who hails from the city of Presque Isle in northern Maine,the romantic comedy consists of eight tightly constructed scenes that takeplace in different locales around the small town. Working before a simple yetwhimsical backdrop of twinkling stars and an enchanting re-creation of theaurora borealis, four actorsSteve Haggard, Elizabeth Ledo, Gerard Neugent andDeborah Staplesplay 19 different characters.

Director LauraGordon draws stellar performances from each actor and complements Cariani’sefficient and heartfelt dialogue with effective comedic timing. As a widowclutching the pieces of her broken heart in a brown paper bag, a dissatisfiedwife hoping to rekindle her marriage, a woman attracted to a man that cannotfeel pain, a spunky waitress named Villian, or a snowmobiling tomboy, guestactor Elizabeth Ledo stands out among the talented cast with charmingmagnetism.

Almost Maine, performed in the Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s intimate StiemkeTheater through Feb. 7, thoughtfully examines the ever-elusive and universaltheme of love from different perspectives, each of them valuable.