The West Hudson Arts & Theater Company (WHATCo) presents “Almost, Maine,” a play by John Cariani, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 1, 2 & 3, with performances at the American Legion Post 99 at 314 Belgrove Drive, Kearny.
The setting, which will be transformed into a quaint, snowy small town on the very edge of the USA, is one filed with warmth, broken hearts and above all else, love.
Directed by WHATCo Board Member Brooke Gorsica, over the course of one cold, clear winter night as the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above of Almost, Maine, neighbors and friends are rapidly falling in and out of love. The romantic comedy consists of nine short vignettes, allowing the audience to witness each of these unique relationships where hearts are broken, knees are bruised — and mend … almost — in a delightful midwinter night’s dream.
This WHATCo production will feature many familiar faces from the West Hudson community including Brandi-Leigh Miller, Jim Miller, Bernadette Oberndorf, Neil Oberndorf, Allyssa Schirm and Ed Shea as well many other frequent WHATCo performers including Amanda Castro-Conroy, Donald Filicetti, Chloe Kiefer, Matthew Masiello, John McCullough, Lauren Proda and David Villa.
New players include Javier Alexander, Arthur Carlson, Nyasia Legra, Andrea Mcchristian, Ivy Leigh Meyer, Holly Stefanik and Justin Wei.
Gorsica and her team say they are working to create a total immersive theater experience for the audiences. The bar at the VFW, for instance, will be recreated as “The Moose Patty” — the bar featured in the show — complete with a mounted moose head. They’ll even serve a special “Almost, Maine” cocktail for purchase for patrons to enjoy.
“Our rendition of “Almost, Maine,” is very warm and really gives the audience the opportunity to latch on to the characters and their stories,” Gorsica says. “We are excited for how our actors are bringing the dynamic attributes of these endearing characters to life.”
Says Brandi Leigh Miller: “The play’s theme of interconnection feels more relevant than ever before in a world that has spent almost two years in lockdown, a sentiment that has not been lost on our cast and creative team.”
The April 1 and 2 performances have a 7 p.m. curtain and the Sunday performance a 2 p.m. curtain. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $15 for senior citizens and students, and may be purchased online at www.whatconj.org.
Limited tickets may be available at the door.
Call (201) 540-WHAT for additional information.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.