Almost Maine

THEATER. CONSPIRACY IN FORT MYERS HAS OPENED ITS SUMMER COMEDY SERIES. IT FEATURES A ROM COM THAT WILL TRANSPORT YOU FROM THE HEAT OF A SUMMER FLORIDA NIGHT TO A COOL WINTER EVENING. UP NORTH WGCU ARTS REPORTER TOM HALL HAS THE DETAILS. >> PLEASE LET ME YEAH. I CAN FIX IT TO LOTS OF GREAT WAYS TO BEAT THE HEAT. BUT THERE'S NONE BETTER THAN GOING TO ALMOST MAINE. >> IN TERMS OF 13 RACE, 7. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ON YOUR MAP BECAUSE AS A TOWN IT DOESN'T EXIST. TECHNICALLY WHAT YOU NEED TO BE A TOWN, YOU'VE GOT TO GET ORGANIZED AND WE NEVER GOT AROUND TO GET ORGANIZED. SO WE'RE JUST ALMOST. >> IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO TRAVEL TO THE NORTHERN TIP OF MAINE. JOHN CARNEY ON HIS ROMANTIC COMEDY, ALMOST MAINE IS AT THE BROADWAY PALM DINNER THEATRE. THE PLAY IS A COLLECTION OF 9 SHORT INTERCONNECTED SITUATIONAL COMEDIES SET ON A SINGLE COLD CLEAR WINTER NIGHT UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS WHERE THE RESIDENTS OF REMOTE AND ORGANIZED TOWN IN MAINE EXPERIENCE THE MAGICAL, HILARIOUS AND HEARTBREAKING REALITIES OF LOVE. >> WE COVERED THE HAPPY PART OF RELATIONSHIPS, THE HARD PARTS, THE DIFFICULT PART TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THE SHOW DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB OF SHOWING LOVE IN WAYS THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY ALWAYS ROMANTIC. >> AFTER DANICA MURRAY PROVIDES THE SECRET SAUCE FOR WHY EACH OF THE WRONG KINDS VIGNETTES RESONATES WITH AUDIENCES. I FEEL LIKE WHAT I HEAR A LOT OF RIGHT NOW IS. >> I MISS MEETING PEOPLE ORGANICALLY AND THIS MEETING PEOPLE OUT AND ABOUT OR RUNNING INTO PEOPLE ARE MEETING STRANGERS BECAUSE SO MUCH OF WHAT WE DO IS ONLINE NOW AND A LOT OF LOVE IS ONLINE. NOW BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, THE DATING APPS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I THINK WHAT MAKES THE SHOW SO CHARMING IS THESE FUNNY SITUATIONS THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN. >> TO TRY ALBERT SON AND THE CMU BODY. I SAY THAT THE SHOW CONNECTS BECAUSE THE CHARACTERS ARE SO RELATED. THERE'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE CAN RELATE TO, SOMETHING THAT SOMEONE CAN TAKE FROM ANY OF THE SCENES AND SEE THEMSELVES IN THE CHARACTERS. DON'T CONFLATE LIGHT HEARTED WITH SUPERFICIAL. >> THE STORYLINES IN THIS PLAY ARE DEEPLY METAPHORICAL. >> LIKE HER HEART. AND WHICH GLORY CARRIES HER HEART BROKEN INTO 19 PIECES IN A BROWN PAPER BAG SHOWS FULL OF HEART. >> EVERY SINGLE PERSON COMES TO SEE THE SHOW WILL FIND AT LEAST ONE CHARACTER THAT THEY RELATE WITH THEMSELVES PERSONALLY OR THEY KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS LIKE THAT. >> THIS IS THE RAIN. >> THIS THIS PERSON, IT BEHAVES OR TALKS LIKE MY NEIGHBOR, THIS PERSON'S LIKE SOME OF THAT I USED TO DATE ARE, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I THINK EVERYONE WILL FIND SOMETHING THAT THEY WILL LOVE ABOUT THE SHOW. >> WE'RE GETTING IT BACK. >> AND WHICH KELLER EYES AND HER BOYFRIEND'S HOUSE WITH BIG RED BAGS FILLED WITH THE LOVE. HE GAVE HER. >> SHE'S GIVING THE BACK BECAUSE HE'S APPARENTLY UNWILLING TO COMMIT TO TAKING THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE NEXT LEVEL. NOW. AND THIS IS. >> I WAS ON MY BACK PATIO ISLAND. I'M READING THE SCENE AND ALL THIS AND I WAS CRYING AND I LIKE WRITING RIGHT NOW. AND SO I JUST THINK IT'S ONE OF THOSE ONES THAT JUST LIKE CUT STEEP, WHETHER YOU'RE MARRIED OR NOT MARRIED, IF YOU WANT TO BE MARRIED, I MADE IT. BUT JUST LIKE IF YOU'VE BEEN IN A RELATIONSHIP FOR A REALLY LONG TIME, YOU KNOW, WE TEND TO DOUBT THING SOMETIMES WHEN THEY'RE NOT AFFIRMED ALL ALL THE TIME. WHILE EACH VIGNETTE IN THE PLAY OPERATES INDEPENDENTLY OF THE OTHERS, THERE ARE ALSO REFERENCES THAT UNITE THEM. THERE'S GONNA BE SOME PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO CAN FIND THE EASTER EGGS. SOME SCENES CONNECT TO OTHER SCENES JUST IN SMALL LITTLE WAYS. YOU KNOW. >> THE PLAY BUILDS THE TOWN AND IT BUILDS THE PEOPLE. IF YOU'RE LOOKING CLOSELY FOR IT. SO I THINK WHETHER YOU JUST WANT TO WHERE YOU WANT TO SEE SOMETHING. THAT'S A LITTLE FUNNY. SEE SOMETHING. THAT'S A LITTLE SAD. SEE SOMETHING THAT JUST MAKES YOU FEEL WARM AND FUZZY OR SEE SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE. REALLY KIND OF HELPING BUILD THE STORY WITH THE ACTORS BECAUSE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THOSE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE SHOW. SO I THINK IT'LL BE JUST A TREAT FOR PEOPLE. >> THE FIRST OF THEATER CONSPIRACY SUMMER SEASON COMEDIES ALMOST MAIN RUNS IN THE OFF BROADWAY PALM THROUGH JUNE 28TH. >> IS YES. I BELIEVE I HAVE IT. >> TOM HALL JOINS ME NOW IN THE STUDIO. AND TOM, YOU GOT TO ATTEND A REHEARSAL FOR ALMOST MAINE, WHICH OPENED THIS PAST WEEKEND. HOW LONG DOES THIS RUN? >> IT RUNS THROUGH JUNE 28TH. IT IS THE FIRST OF THE THERESA COMEDIES THAT THERE ARE CONSPIRACIES PRODUCING THE SUMMER IN THE OFF BROADWAY PALM. AND THIS ONE IS REALLY DELIGHTFUL. IT'S JUST 9 SHORT LITTLE VIGNETTE. SO THE THE ACTION CHANGES JUST LIKE A SITCOM ON TELEVISION. SOUNDS SO MUCH FUN. IT IS. AND TOM, I