There’s a hint of romance in the winter air, courtesy of “Almost, Maine.”  

One of the most widely-produced plays in the United States, “Almost, Maine” is coming to Syracuse’s Redhouse Arts Center on Thursday and will run until Feb. 3. 

The production kicks off Redhouse’s 2019 lineup and marks the directorial debut of Steve Hayes, a Cazenovia resident and nine-time Redhouse production actor who starred in “La Cage aux Folles” and “Six Degrees of Separation,” among others.  

While Hayes is familiar with the Redhouse stage, this play was new to him.  

“Redhouse asked me to direct it and I went ahead and accepted the challenge. I read it and loved it,” Hayes said, who even met its playwright and famed actor, John Cariani. 

First performed in Portland in 2004, Cariani’s play garnered critical acclaim. Hayes credits the simplicity and beauty of the work for its success. He said audiences can expect a romantic comedy of nine vignettes, pairing the experience with the effects of the Aurora Borealis. 

The northern lights provide the setting for this mid-winter night, which Hayes said highlights the lack of time in life that seems to dwindle with age. This sentiment is why he uses older characters in this version of the play, Hayes added.  

The characters are played by six actors, among whom are Laura Austin (“21 Jump Street”) and John Bixler from “In Plain Sight.” Austin and Bixler share a bond from working together before and from previous work with Hayes. The duo said they are more than comfortable portraying yet another “couple” in “Almost, Maine.” 

“I’ve worked with Steve before and did 10 shows with John. It’s like we’re an old married couple,” Austin said.  

The former Skaneateles resident said she is happy to be back at Redhouse with a play she believes reflects the nature of work the theater has become renowned for.  

“‘Almost, Maine,’ is warm and funny, accessible with a serious message. People have come to expect this kind of work from Redhouse,” Austin said.  

The stories, she added, are varied and challenging, with each role different from the others. But most of all, Austin said that she hopes Cariani appreciates the delivery of highly technical and very specific dialogue in this new production.   

“He’s certainly going to be in the audience one of these nights,” Austin said, who has seen the play once before but has never met Cariani.  

For Ohio-raised Bixler, “Almost, Maine” is like sitting around a campfire telling stories: It could take place anywhere in America.  

“The play will definitely be well-accepted by the Syracuse audience for its reliability in characters and universal themes,” Bixler said. “It’s charming.” 

To Bixler, working with Hayes and Austin is like working with family. He calls the Redhouse community home, now that he’s in his eighth season there. 

Hayes said he is fortunate to have acquired the local cast for this production, as well as to have been given this opportunity by Redhouse and its new artistic director, Hunter Foster. 

Foster added that he’s proud the Redhouse will present one of the theater’s most popular romantic comedies to the Syracuse community, written by Cariani, his friend and colleague.  

“It’s the perfect show to remind us what’s most important in life: the love and connection of another human being,” Foster said.

Published on January 23, 2019 at 8:29 pm

Contact L.A.M.: lymichae@syr.edu