On Theater: ‘Almost, Maine’ is almost funny

Quirky. That one word, in the proverbial nutshell, pretty much defines “Almost, Maine,” the latest production at the Westminster Community Playhouse. Not quite weird or bizarre, just a little, well, off center.

Playwright John Cariani has cobbled together nine unrelated scenes with two characters each, all connected by the topic of romantic relationships, some of which turn out happily. All are set in the backwater village of Almost in the chilly state of Maine during a midwinter evening.

Supposedly, all these vignettes are occurring during “one magical moment.” Think “Greater Tuna” without the biting humor. Cariani’s characters act on impulse rather than logic, and the play is filled with sudden declarations of love, followed by some impromptu kissing. Hopeless romanticism rules the day in Almost, Maine.

At Westminster, director Karla Franklin has chosen an inventive cast of seven performers, all but one of whom play several different characters during the nine scenes (plus a prologue, interlogue and epilogue). Some of these are quite amusing, while others veer more toward just plain silly.

The cast is fairly well balanced, but one actress stands out both for physical beauty and incisive interpretation. Emily Contino delivers a terrific performance in her three diverse characterizations.

In two of these, she’s paired with Jose Corea as a young fellow infatuated with her, sadly in the first instance, strangely more successfully in the second — during which the act of disrobing on a frigid Maine evening becomes a lengthy comic bit in itself.

Ryanna Marsh also impresses, first as a heartless waif and later as a boarding house operator who accidentally bashes an unfeeling J. James Velasquez with her ironing board. The adjectives heartless and unfeeling should be taken quite literally.

The most effective segment of the evening is titled “Story of Hope.” It involves a young woman (Caitlin Leamon) who returns to find that her former lover (Scott T. Finn) has moved on. Finn and Corea also have fun with the show’s only same-sex pairing. It’s a long way from “Brokeback Mountain.” and all the eroticism is of the verbal variety.

Director Franklin also designed the sparse setting — various set pieces are whisked on and off stage. Bob Nydegger has created both sound and lighting effects, the latter of which could more efficiently display the rotating title of each segment.

“Almost, Maine” leans heavily on the first word of the title, with many of its characters missing it, as Maxwell Smart would say, “by that much.” It’s an evening of almost funny but nevertheless entertaining situations at the Westminster Community Playhouse.

TOM TITUS reviews local theater.

IF YOU GO

What: “Almost, Maine”

Where: Westminster Community Playhouse, 7272 Maple St., Westminster

When: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 21

Cost: $10 and $20

Information: (714) 893-8626