By J.E. Ballantyne Jr.


As season 100 winds down at the Youngstown Playhouse, it’s fitting that the final production is full of love.

“Almost, Maine” by John Cariani presents a series of short vignettes, each exploring different aspects of love. Set in the fictional town of Almost, Maine, the play centers on the town’s small population as they await the arrival of the northern lights.

Each vignette is titled and loosely connected by a common thread. In “Prologue,” Pete (Matthew Reighard) and Ginette (Raquel Allison) sit at opposite ends of a red park bench. The scene is the shortest and features the least dialogue of the evening — but that doesn’t mean it lacks substance.

Ginette professes her love for Pete, who is dumbstruck and speechless. The actors convey the story through subtle expressions, with both Allison and Reighard communicating emotion without a word. Their performances build a brief but meaningful moment that actually concludes later in the show. A few awkwardly timed reactions from Reighard may have missed opportunities for stronger laughs, but overall, the scene is a testament to the power of silence.

Dialogue could not have created the same chemistry between the two characters, proving that sometimes, less is more. The scene also highlights a recurring device used by Cariani: repetition. While effective at times, it occasionally becomes a distraction in later scenes.

Next, we meet East (Brian Suchora) and Glory (Brenda Hickman) in the scene titled “Her Heart.” Glory, a free spirit, invades East’s front yard to see the northern lights. She carries her broken heart in a bag, a symbol of her grief for her late husband. Hickman brings strength and emotional range to the role, making Glory a compelling and unpredictable presence. Suchora, by contrast, plays East as bewildered but earnest, his expressions often funnier than the dialogue. His character eventually pivots, and he handles the change with skill. The scene is one of the evening’s most polished and emotionally cohesive.

In “This Hurts,” love is viewed through a different lens. Steve (Adam Michael) cannot feel physical pain. He carries two notebooks: one listing things that can hurt you, the other listing things to be afraid of. Michael gives Steve a quiet depth, with his simple delivery masking layers of anxiety beneath the surface.

In “Where It Went,” Suchora returns as Phil, opposite Terri Norling’s Marci. The two portray a couple grappling with lost love, symbolized by a missing shoe. Phil, consumed by work and inattentiveness, has let his marriage drift. Norling makes Marci sympathetic — strong yet desperate to repair the relationship. The actors complement each other well in this poignant scene.

Thomas Kushner and Marina Shelton shine in “Sad and Glad,” which follows a former couple reuniting at a bar. The scene captures every awkward moment and shifting emotion, moving from humor to the quiet heartbreak of realizing that some relationships aren’t meant to be rekindled. Both actors handle the emotional complexity with nuance.

As a collection of vignettes rather than a traditional plot-driven play, Almost, Maine relies heavily on the strength of its writing and performances. While several scenes land effectively, a few fall short. “Getting It Back” and “They Fell” feel forced and overly dependent on repetition. “Story of Hope” drags in places, hindered more by the script than the actors. At times, it feels as if the playwright is over-explaining each scene’s purpose.

Director Mario Ricciardi brings strong energy to the production. His character work is thoughtful, helping the eccentric residents of Almost feel like real people despite their quirks.

The set, though uncredited, serves the story well. Its minimalism effectively suggests location and never distracts from the action. Lighting design by Ellen Licitra is bold and expressive, particularly in her depiction of the northern lights, which add color and atmosphere to each scene. Costumes are fitting, capturing the cold, wintry setting— though many in the audience may not have welcomed the reminder of winter.

Almost, Maine offers a whimsical and heartfelt journey to “the end of the world,” as one character puts it — a couple of enjoyable hours spent with quirky folks from up north.

Performances continue at the Youngstown Playhouse June 7, 13, 14 at 7:30 pm and
June 8, 15 at 2:30 pm

Pictured at top: Thomas Kusher and Sydney Stainecker in a scene from the Youngstown Playhouse’s production of “Almost, Maine.”