Photo Flash: First Look at ALMOST, MAINE at USC Lab Theatre

The University of SC Department of Theatre and Dance will present John Cariani's much-loved comedy Almost, Maine, November 17-20 at the Lab Theatre. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast onstage below!

One of the most frequently produced plays of the last decade, Almost, Maine takes audiences to a mythical Maine town whose residents find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and often hilarious ways. As the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, we experience a series of nine variously heartbreaking and heartwarming vignettes, each exploring the ways in which we all strive to find love...almost.

Playwright John Cariani sets the tone for any production of the play explicitly in the opening pages of the script. "The people of Almost, Maine are ordinary people...They are honest and true. They are not cynical. [Almost, Maine] is a play about real people who are really truly, honestly dealing with the toughest thing there is to deal with in life: love."

"It all centers around love and almost getting there," says the show's director, David Britt, a senior instructor in the theatre program. "A few of the characters get there, some don't get there, and some go the other way."

"It's a very intimate play, so it's perfect for the Lab Theatre space," Britt adds. "In a bigger theatre, I think it would be much harder to experience or feel the touching moments that are in this play."

Though it was originally produced with just four actors portraying all of the play's different characters, Britt has opened up the production to nineteen different actors. "We decided to spread the love," says Britt. "The majority of the cast is made up of brand new students, either freshmen or new transfer students. We're really excited about that, getting to see new faces on stage and getting to introduce them to doing theatre here."

Cast in the play are undergraduates Jay Allen, Allie Anderson-Horecny, Rachael Bates, Deborah Benjamin, Matthew Cox, Kayla Crumbley, David Neil Edwards, Marilyn Guy, Scott Koontz, Riley Lucas, Liv Matthews, Sam McMullen, Logan Muckle, Leah Odom, Tristan Pack, Monica Sessions, Cassidy Spencer, Cole Stephens and Alexandra Woodruff. Casey Giust is stage manager for the production.

"There's a lot of laughs and a lot of tender moments," says Britt. "And, it inspires hope when you see characters come together in unexpected ways, and realize they're lucky to have found each other."

Show times are 8pm nightly. Admission is $5, with tickets available only at the door. The Lab Theatre is located at 1400 Wheat Street, on the first floor of the Booker T. Washington building.

Photo Credit: Gabe Crawford

David Neil Edwards and Deborah Benjamin

Logan Muckle and Rachael Bates

Monica Sessions