Review for ALMOST, MAINE at Onstage in Bedford

 Almost, Maine

by John Cariani

Directed by Drew Denton

Produced by Onstage in Bedford

Reviewed by Aubrey Tarantine

Almost, Maine from Onstage in Bedford felt natural, well-paced, and intentional. Almost, Maine is a play by John Cariani, comprising nine short plays that explore love and loss in a remote, fictional almost-town called Almost, Maine. We follow four actors who collectively play 19 different characters throughout the nine short plays. Knowing this, it’s easy to see why a director would need to ensure that four incredibly talented actors are cast for these roles, and that’s assuredly what happened here. John Marshall, Lindsey Sinopoli, Richie Hidalgo, and Darcy Doyle were the perfect people for these various roles. 

John Marshall plays five different characters: Pete, Jimmy, Steve, Randy, and Man. While he played all five characters well, his abilities really shone through while playing Jimmy. In the scene where he plays Jimmy, he is clearly a heartbroken man in the beginning, but finds serendipitous hope by the end.  Marshall’s ability to make the audience feel this wave of emotion showcases why he was perfect for this role. His portrayal of Randy in the second act was also fun to watch. His delivery was spot on, and he sat in the role nicely. It was also one of my favorite scenes of Marshall’s because the back and forth between him and Richie was terrific and well-timed. 

Richie Hidalgo also plays five characters: East, Lendall, Chad, Phil, and Dave. The greatest part about Hidalgo in his various roles is how natural he felt in them. It was as if he wrote the roles for himself. While playing East, Hidalgo has strong comedic timing and moves smoothly between the lines–having the audience laughing which is always a positive. What was amazing to watch, though, was his ability to go from those comedic landings into the sweet moments with fellow actor Darcy Doyle. Hidalgo’s strongest character, though, is Phil. Interestingly enough, this scene was also with fellow actor Darcy Doyle. The tension in the scene was palpable, as if Hidalgo really dug into himself for this role and found Phil there, just waiting to emerge. Hidalgo and Doyle were consistently stunning in this scene; I was truly moved by their performance.

Darcy Doyle plays: Glory, Waitress, Marvalyn, Marci, and Rhonda. Doyle has a certain type of presence on stage that makes it hard to look away, regardless of what role she’s in. A highlight for me was watching her play Marci and being able to feel the chemistry and electricity that comes alive whenever Doyle and Hidalgo are on stage together. We feel Marci’s longing, hopefulness, disappointments and her frustrations right along with her.  We feel all the way into her role of Glory, by way of her impeccable timing, and her ability to move from one emotion to another deftly. She is incredibly natural on stage, as if there were no lines at all and Darcy simply was Glory. 

Lindsey Sinopoli plays: Ginette, Sandrine, Gayle, and Hope. What was so impressive to me about Sinopoli was her ability to be so incredibly present in every single scene, drawing us into her world and giving us the opportunity to look into her character’s life. This was incredibly evident while she was playing Sandrine. Sinopoli has this untaught talent, one that utilizes facial expressions, body language, and little moments in between lines to tell a complete story of her character. She fully embraces each role she plays through mind and spirit. Her bubbly portrayal of Ginette is especially fun, making the whole audience laugh, which is a great way to start the show!

 Onstage in Bedford’s production of Almost, Maine is vibrant, thoughtful, and intensely real! The breathtaking chemistry among all four cast members gives the impression that we are watching the lives of real people play out. You will laugh, think, and be moved through each moment with the characters. I would highly recommend seeing Almost, Maine with Onstage in Bedford before it closes. You will not be disappointed!

Audience Rating:  PG-13 for sexual innuendo

Accessible seating: Yes

Hearing Devices Available: No

Sensory Friendly Showing: No

Production Sound Level: Comfortable

Noises and Visuals to Know About: No

Be Well,
Aubrey Tarantine