Set on a wintry Friday night in Almost, Maine ("Almost," because they "never got around to getting organized"), the play is a series of vignettes that explore different romantic situations. This "almost" theme carries throughout as all the characters don't completely resolve their romantic dilemmas. The characters caught in these dilemmas range from a woman whose slate heart has literally broken into pieces to a man who cannot feel physical, much less emotional, pain.
The cast is a quartet of versatile actors who deftly handle more than a dozen roles. While Todd Cerveris often evokes empathy for his average-guy characters-despite their slight quirkiness-Justin Hagan's love-starved characters avidly seeking romantic relationships, are subjects for sympathy. Miriam Shor and Finnerty Steeves wonderfully portray a variety of women: Shor nimbly plays a wife in an unsatisfactory marriage and then, only minutes later, a tomboy who is afraid of intimacy. Steeves transforms from a droll waitress with a telling name to a desperate woman who wants back all the love she gave to her boyfriend-literally.
Cariani takes such phrases as "broken heart" and "falling in love" and infuses them with originality by employing their literal meanings, culling laughs and sprinkling each scene with magic. This scrumptious whimsy, also reflected in the snow-covered set and delightful star-lit backdrop, more than compensates for some predictable endings, which still manage to be endearing. Although the play is sweet, it is not gallingly so; in fact, the vignettes are sometimes tinged with notes of sadness that make "Maine" a smart show.
Gabriel Barre's clever direction and Julian Fleisher's folkish original music tighten the play and give it a melodic rhythm, both particularly important in stringing the scenes together. The prologue, interlogue and epilogue follow the progress of one couple who get closer and closer, further connecting the vignettes. Moreover, the two-person stage crew, characters in themselves and played by the understudies Patrick Noonan and Colleen Quinian, dress in winter coats and act out a relationship that keeps the audience attentive as they move props.
Good things come to those who search for them. Accordingly, for a funny, charming show, take a detour to "Maine" on your next visit to New York.