Cresson Lake to stage 'Almost, Maine' at playhouse
Oct. 6—LORETTO, Pa. — This show is all about the power of love.
Cresson Lake Playhouse's season will conclude with the play "Almost, Maine" at the playhouse, 279 Shapiro Road, Loretto.
Curtain times are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Oct. 15 and 2 p.m. Oct. 16.
Directed by Steve Guice, "Almost, Maine" is composed of nine short plays that explore love and loss in a remote, mythical almost-town called Almost, Maine.
In the vignettes, a woman carries her heart, broken into 19 pieces, in a small paper bag; a man shrinks to half his former size after losing hope in love; and a couple keep the love they have given each other in large red bags, or compress the mass into the size of a diamond.
The playful and surreal experiences are commonplace in the world of John Cariani's "Almost, Maine," where on one deeply cold and magical midwinter night, the citizens of Almost — not organized enough for a town, too populated for a wilderness — experience the life-altering power of the human heart.
Relationships end, begin or change beyond recognition, as strangers become friends, friends become lovers and lovers turn into strangers.
Propelled by the mystical energy of the aurora borealis and populated with characters who are humorous, plain-spoken, thoughtful and sincere, "Almost, Maine" is a series of loosely connected tales about love, each with a compelling couple at its center, each with its own touch of sorcery.
"This is a beautiful vignette about different kinds of love, and it's different kinds of couples in situations that they find themselves in and how problems in love are resolved," said Paul Seymour, the playhouse's artistic director. "It's a sweet, sentimental show, and we thought it would play well to our patrons. It's lovely and absolutely beautiful, and Steve is an amazing director and does a really nice job bringing this to life."
Cast members include seasoned playhouse actors Guice, Ryen Beam, Jordan Miller, Stephanie Reese and Hailey Giuifre, and newcomer to the stage Marrissa Aviles.
Seymour said Miller, who is originally from Altoona, has been living in Nashville, but he wanted to be in the production and is working remotely from the Altoona area to make it happen.
"They have all come together extremely well, and it's a nice group of mature people who are interested in making a great product," he said. "I have no doubt that it's going to be a wonderful show."
Seymour said there is something for everybody in the show.
"Anytime you play out all of these different love stories, someone can find something to relate to," he said. "It's very accessible to an average audience."
Show tickets range from $16 to $23.
For more information, call 814-472-4333 or visit www.cressonlake.com.
