A young man (Drew Nietzy) demonstrates that he and his girlfriend (Rachel Markunas) are as close as two people can be by using a snowball as a mini globe in "Almost, Maine." (photo by Ken McCoy)
Stetson University opens its 106th season with John Cariani’s romantic comedy Almost, Maine, Sept. 22-25 at Stover Theatre on the DeLand campus.
This comedy gives a peek into the lives of several characters who inhabit a small town in northern Maine where the weather is always cold, but the people you meet are always genuinely warm and kind. Almost, Maine is directed by Julie Schmitt, associate professor of communication studies and theater arts.
Almost, Maine will be presented at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Sept. 22-24. The final performance will be a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Sept. 25.
Admission for each performance is $10 for adults and $8 for senior citizens and non-Stetson students. Stetson students, faculty, and staff presenting valid I.D. will be admitted free of charge. Stover Theatre is located at 535 N. Florida Ave., DeLand. Parking is free. Tickets will be available at the door, and can be purchased by either cash or check. For information or reservations, call the Stover Theatre box office at 386-822-8700. Reserved tickets must be picked up 30 minutes prior to the start of each show.
Almost, Maine takes a close look at the lives of several people living in the small and extremely cold and isolated town of Almost. On a magical night when the northern lights are at their brightest, several townspeople find themselves making magical connections of their own. From a woman that carries her broken heart around with her in a paper bag, to a young lovesick man that got a tattoo in honor of his ex-girlfriend only to discover he misspelled the name, you’ll find all of the characters that inhabit the town of Almost, Maine, to be quirky and endearing. It is a fun and touching play that offers audiences feelings of warmth, hope and inspiration.
“For over a year, it seemed that everyone was talking about this great new play called Almost, Maine. I picked it up to see what all the buzz was about, and after reading it, I could clearly see why audiences and artists have become so enamored with this play,” Schmitt says. “The setting of the play is truly unique, and the characters that Cariani has created are simply unforgettable.”
The ensemble cast of Almost, Maine includes Ellen Smittle, Kaleb Knoblauch, Kaylee Rotunno, Preston Stanger, Katherine Halbert, Zachary Tatak, Roxy Ghamgosarnia, Jarrod Beck, Samone Hicks, David Johnson, Sarah Taylor, Emmett Boykins Jr., Rachel Markunas, Drew Neitzey, Brianna Lancaster, Shane Klingensmith, Nicole Hindle, Dillon Moore and Thomas Ecker.