ALMOST, MAINE to Open at Orange County School of the Arts

Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) Integrated Arts Conservatory students will present their rendition of the beloved play 'Almost, Maine,' by Tony Award-nominated actor and playwright John Cariani. Described by the New York Times as '[a] whimsical approach to the joys and perils of romance,' this uplifting play will run Oct. 1-3.

Beneath a moonless winter sky, with the aurora borealis dancing overhead, the quiet town of Almost, Maine becomes the setting for a series of unexpected encounters that reveal the wonder, melancholy, and possibility of love.

'Beneath its quirky, magical humor ['Almost, Maine'] is a very honest exploration of love, connection, heartbreak, and the ways people struggle to communicate what they truly feel,' said the show's director and OCSA faculty member Isaak Olson.

Mixing romanticism and absurdist comedy, this series of loosely connected tales about love, each with a compelling couple at its center, features characters who are humorous, plain-spoken, thoughtful, and sincere. Integrated Arts students bring these characters to life through collaboration with the show's director, bringing their strong individual artistic voices to the material. Through taking ownership of their characters, students discover moments that are uniquely their own, navigating comedy, vulnerability and heightened theatricality in quick succession.

Finding the balance between the play's broad, quirky humor and the very real emotions underneath is a unique challenge. Integrated Arts has embraced the play's undeniable whimsy while still grounding each story in genuine, recognizable human experiences. The production design is also intentionally simple, with the set, costumes, sound, and lighting working together to create the world of 'Almost, Maine' without distracting from the actors and their performances.

'Young people especially can recognize the uncertainty, excitement, awkwardness, and heartbreak of trying to connect with another person,' said Olson. Exploring the tender, unexpected nature of human connection, the play reminds us that love can be both beautifully ordinary and wonderfully extraordinary.

'More than anything, I hope audiences leave 'Almost, Maine' feeling that they have experienced something funny, unexpected, and genuinely heartfelt,' Olson shared. 'This production has given our students an opportunity not only to perform, but to explore their own sense of vulnerability, to connect with one another, and to tell stories together-and that has been particularly meaningful to me as a director!'