Main Stage
Audition information for Almost, Maine
by John Cariani
Directed by Tom Bigongiari
Auditions will be held at the Penfield Community Center (1985 Baird Rd, Penfield, NY) on:
- Wednesday, January 25 at 7:00 p.m.
- Thursday, January 26 at 7:30 p.m.
If you plan to attend the auditions, please let us know at penfieldplayers@gmail.com so that we can keep you updated should there be any changes to the audition schedule or Covid protocols.
“Almost, Maine” is a series of eight vignettes, not including a prologue and an epilogue. Each vignette is about 10 minutes long. Dramatists Play Service describes it this way, “. . . Almost, Maine, [is] a place that’s so far north, it’s almost not in the United States. It’s almost in Canada. And it’s not quite a town, because its residents never got around to getting organized. So it almost doesn’t exist. One cold, clear, winter night, as the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, the residents of Almost, Maine, find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and hilarious ways. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. But the bruises heal, and the hearts mend—almost—in this delightful midwinter night’s dream.”
The play is written for a minimum of four actors, two men and two women, who play a total of 19 characters. The author imagined that the ages of the characters range from 20s to 40s, but we will consider older actors. The number of actors we cast will depend partly on the number of people who audition.
The characters are described as follows:
Pete and Ginette, who have been dating for a while
East, a repairman, and Glory, a hiker
Jimmy, a heating and cooling guy; Sandrine, his ex-girlfriend; and a salty waitress
Marvalyn, a woman who is very good at protecting herself, and Steve, an open, kind fellow whose brother protects him
Gale and Lendall, longtime girlfriend and boyfriend
Randy and Chard, two “County boys”; OR Deena and Shelly, two “County girls”
Phil, a hard-working husband and his hard-working wife, Marci
Hope, who has traveled the world, and a man, who has not
Rhonda, a tough woman, and Dave, the not-so-tough man who loves her
The playwright also notes that, “The people of Almost, Maine are not hicks or rednecks. They don't have funny Maine accents. They don't wear funny clothes and funny hats. The people of Almost, Maine are ordinary people. They work hard for a living. They are extremely dignified. They are honest and true . . . They take time to wonder about things. They speak simply, honestly, truly, and from the heart.”
We will be using the 2018 version of the script, as that is the only version currently authorized for performance. It is available to view for free at the Internet Archives Web site. You will need to create an account, but the service is free. Once we receive copies of the script, we will make them available at the Penfield Public Library for use in the library.
We invite anyone who can play the genders and ages specified to audition regardless of age, race, ethnicity, or gender identification.
“Almost, Maine” has seven performances:
- April 28 and 29 at 8:00 p.m.
- May 5 and May 6 at 8:00 p.m.; May 7 at 2:00 p.m.
- May 12 and May 13 at 8:00 p.m.
Tech week runs from April 24-26. Dress rehearsal is Thursday, April 27. Set load-in and set build days are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, April 15 and 16 and April 22 and 23. Load-out is on Sunday, May 14.
Rehearsals, starting the week of February 27th, will be 2 weeknights (Mondays and Wednesdays) and Saturday afternoons. Rehearsals will be at the Penfield Community Center.
Please bring a list of your conflicts over the rehearsal period as well as a resume and a headshot. Headshots may be of any size and need not be professionally prepared. Monologues are not required. Sides from the show will be provided.
We are asking anyone who auditions to be masked. When you read for your part(s), you may remove your mask, if you wish.
Have questions? Just email us at penfieldplayers@gmail.com. Also, please let us know if you plan to audition so that we may keep you informed of any changes to the audition schedule or changes to Covid protocols.
We hope to see you on January 25 or 26!
