Stories of Love — Lost, Found, Missed and Misconceived at the CCT's 'Almost, Maine'

It’s a bit hard to put yourself into a snowy winter scene in Maine when it’s sunny and hovering in the high 60s. Luckily, the Bay Area weather has begun to cooperate, to the extent possible, with the ’s production of the charming romantic comedy .

The play, directed by Ken Sonkin and written by Maine-born actor and playwright John Cariani, is in its third weekend at the downtown theater. It will be showing through Feb. 27.

Set in a tiny, fictional town on the opposite shore of the country, Almost, Maine is a series of timeless, placeless stories of misunderstood affections, chance romances, and lost and found loves. A talented cast of young actors brings the series of skits alive on the CCT stage, making audiences laugh, coo, even cry.

I saw the play last Saturday—my first time at the CCT. I hadn’t completely believed people’s assertions that there were no bad seats in the theater, but I can now attest that there really aren’t.

The small former courtroom is cozy; the rows are graded enough to permit a clear view, even for us shorties; and the sound quality is excellent.

Almost, Maine opens with a young couple sitting far apart on a bench on a cold, winter night. The young woman throws hints about how she’d like to get closer to her partner, and then, just after she musters the courage to snuggle up, she’s rebuffed by the young man’s bizarre twist of logic.

You have to wait until the end of the play to see the scenario resolved.

Each of the skits is self-contained, though by the end, the audience is familiar with some of the town’s characters and hangout spots.

The play is light on props, which I tend to like. The dialogue—witty and completely entertaining—and acting take care of everything.

Almost, Maine was first read on stage in 2002 as part of the Cape Cod Theatre Project, a sort of staging ground for new plays. Three years later, it opened off Broadway at the Daryl Roth Theatre in New York. It has since been performed at hundreds of theaters around the country and in other parts of the world.

One of my favorite skits of the CCT production involved a young man who has recently had his arm tattooed with a misspelled word. The self-inflicted punishment, and unintended mistake, turns out to be a cryptic message from Cupid, realized at just the right time.

In fact, timing is a key theme in the play.

Speaking of timing, you have just two weekends left to see the play. There might just be a key message in it for you.

Tickets for the CCT's production of Almost, Maine can be ordered by leaving a message with the box office at 510-632-8850, or emailing the theater at CCTofSL@yahoo.com. Showtimes are Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m.