ECC Theatre presents romantic comedy 'Almost, Maine' April 17-May 3
Elgin Community College Theatre's spring production of John Cariani's "Almost, Maine" will be held April 17 to May 3.
The production is directed by Susanne Kepley, ECC Theatre adjunct faculty. Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 3 p.m. Sundays in the SecondSpace Theatre at ECC Arts Center, Building H, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.
"Almost, Maine" focuses on the love lives of the residents of a fictional and often magical town in northern Maine called Almost. Against the majestic backdrop of the Northern Lights, couples find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and often hilarious ways. The broken hearts start to mend, friendships blossom into love, relationships begin and begin to end - all on one enchanted Friday night in January.
"When I first read the play, I loved that these very relatable characters and relationships were set against the backdrop of a whimsical, dreamlike, magical town," says Kepley. "The people of Almost, Maine are very much like you and me. Their problems and joys are all things that you've experienced or you've watched someone else experience. However, Almost, Maine is also a place where hearts literally break and can be fixed by repairmen, people 'fall in love' by falling down to the ground repeatedly, a kiss from the right person changes immediately how you see the world, and answers fall from the sky. It's a funny, romantic, moving, and charming play, and I think audiences will themselves fall for these characters that our actors are portraying with so much humor and honesty."
The "magical" elements of this production are further on display within the production design. The design for this production includes an effect for the Aurora Borealis by lighting/set designer Angelo O'Dierno, flexible set pieces that are moved by magical townsfolk from scene to scene, and original music by sound designer Marc Beth.
"We felt it was important to bring this magical place to life by using all of our resources - that magic is on display in the sound design, the set, the lights, the costumes, the props, and in our actors," says Kepley. "There are a lot of very fun surprises along the way that I don't want to spoil so you'll have to come experience them."
The cast of ECC students includes residents of Algonquin, Elgin, Pingree Grove, South Elgin and St. Charles.
Tickets for ECC Theatre's production of "Almost, Maine" are $11 or $9 for students and seniors. Tickets for all performances at the ECC Arts Center are available online at tickets.elgin.edu or at the ECC box office located in the Arts Center. Box office hours are noon to 7 p.m. Monday to Thursday, and noon to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. To purchase tickets by phone, call (847) 622-0300. All major credit cards are accepted.
Visit elgin.edu/arts for more information about the ECC Arts Center, including video clips of upcoming artists and events, and links to the Arts Center's Twitter and Facebook pages.
"Almost, Maine" is presented through special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.