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A review by alyssaindira
Almost, Maine (Stage Version) by John Cariani
3.0
Almost Meaningful
The play Almost, Maine by John Cariani, published by Dramatists Play Service Inc, is crafted with interesting dynamics in mind. At first glance, this play might just appear like another generic work detailing about romantic endeavors, yet the true meaning lies deep in the calligraphy, almost. Cariani writes, “there is no need to sentimentalize the material; just let it be what it is—a play about real people who are dealing with the toughest thing here is to deal with: love. Honor the ache and play the pain(but keep most of it covered)” (On Characterization, p. 77-78). The theme resonates across the several storylines that are woven into the cream pages. In addition, his central point is diverged through all the scenes entwined in the parchment. Cariani truly does hone in on the specific pondering about how do relatively normal human beings deal with the abstract concept that is love?
One of the first stories about a couple who have been dating for a short period of time, is enacted through the prologue, interlogue, and epilogue. It could be inferred, that after Ginette professes her love, and longing to deepen their relationship, Pete experiences heightened levels of fear and uncertainty. To avoid the impending outfall of the situation, he begins spewing on and on about practically anything portraying to the globe (PROLOGUE, p. 14). Certainly, it is not wrong, maybe even human, to feel unsteady and weary of the unknown. Although change could potentially be a spiral of doom, one thing that Cariani might be trying to convey to the audience is that it’s better to face it with someone by your side. Hence, the reason why Ginette came back to Pete in the epilogue.
Moving on, one of the next scenes is an account about a woman who has wound up camped out in the yard of a total stranger because she has come to bid her late husband a farewell. As she and the man begin conversing, he notices that she clutches a strange bag, and naturally asks what it contains. She quickly enunciates that it is “her hardened heart that broke into nineteen pieces because of her husband”(ACT I, p. 20-21). Long explanation short, turns out the man ends up being exactly what she needs to cure her broken heart. Perhaps, Cariani attempts to express to the audience through this situation, that even if one goes through a horrible heartbreak, one has the ability to move forward with their life; with the right person.
Furthermore, a different scene features a man who, after a breakup, inks his skin because he presumes it was “criminal and villainy to have driven a girl like his ex away” (ACT I, p. 28-29). On the negative side, he misspelled it; instead of villain, the tattoo read villian. Apparently the fates have him in their sights, because ironically, later on he meets a girl named Villian. As of this moment, the author’s purpose or message escapes my grasp. The scene entitled “They Fell”, also leaves me with a similar puzzled state of mind. Basically it is about two guys who realize they love one another, yet they are not able to be close because they succumb to the continuous falling down epidemic that occurs. In my opinion, this could imply a handful of aspects; one being that the author desired to display that even though they experience tangible love, it should not be acted upon.
Equally important, in the scene “Getting it Back”, the author fabricates physical manifestations of the love that people relinquish to each other. This could really strike an accord with the readers by tackling love in that particular form. A few messages could be derived from this approach. People might ponder the truth worth of giving, or whether it is the size or the intent that matters most. An additional physical apparatus in this play is of someone who has literally become half the man he used to be due to losing all hope. In spite of that, he has found hope in someone else and even wishes for the person who had initially caused the drainage of his hope to find the true meaning of hope as well.
Another tale, “Where it Went”, has a conflicted spiral that chronicles the new circumstances for a husband who seems to have put his career above his wife and children. In light of this, the wife voices to her husband, “you just . . . you don’t pay attention anymore, you go away and I dont know where you go” (ACT II, p. 53). They argue over this matter, then eventually leave separately. Correspondingly, it is possible that Cariani’s message during this scene is that love, once lost, is never found again. Not to mention, the author also notes that sometimes people give the impression that they are blind to love. They often fail to see what is right in front of them without a not-so-subtle hint. Markedly, this situation is demonstrated in the section “Seeing things”.
Uniquely, the scene “This Hurts”, illustrates a man who has a condition where he cannot feel pain and is being taught by his brother what can hurt a person and what causes fear. Nonetheless, when he meets Marvalyn, she confesses to Steve, “trust me, there are thing that hurt you that make you bruised and bloody and there are things that hurt you that don’t, but they all hurt” (ACT I, p. 34). Ultimately, this alludes to Steve shifting his outlook on life when he is lead to believe that this woman could grow to love him, and all his quirks. All in all, maybe that is also one of the author’s messages, that love does hurt, even though one cannot see the physical attributions. Maybe the entire sum of this play is that love, being more or less an abstract ideal, should have no concrete ends and no natural boundaries.
The play Almost, Maine by John Cariani, published by Dramatists Play Service Inc, is crafted with interesting dynamics in mind. At first glance, this play might just appear like another generic work detailing about romantic endeavors, yet the true meaning lies deep in the calligraphy, almost. Cariani writes, “there is no need to sentimentalize the material; just let it be what it is—a play about real people who are dealing with the toughest thing here is to deal with: love. Honor the ache and play the pain(but keep most of it covered)” (On Characterization, p. 77-78). The theme resonates across the several storylines that are woven into the cream pages. In addition, his central point is diverged through all the scenes entwined in the parchment. Cariani truly does hone in on the specific pondering about how do relatively normal human beings deal with the abstract concept that is love?
One of the first stories about a couple who have been dating for a short period of time, is enacted through the prologue, interlogue, and epilogue. It could be inferred, that after Ginette professes her love, and longing to deepen their relationship, Pete experiences heightened levels of fear and uncertainty. To avoid the impending outfall of the situation, he begins spewing on and on about practically anything portraying to the globe (PROLOGUE, p. 14). Certainly, it is not wrong, maybe even human, to feel unsteady and weary of the unknown. Although change could potentially be a spiral of doom, one thing that Cariani might be trying to convey to the audience is that it’s better to face it with someone by your side. Hence, the reason why Ginette came back to Pete in the epilogue.
Moving on, one of the next scenes is an account about a woman who has wound up camped out in the yard of a total stranger because she has come to bid her late husband a farewell. As she and the man begin conversing, he notices that she clutches a strange bag, and naturally asks what it contains. She quickly enunciates that it is “her hardened heart that broke into nineteen pieces because of her husband”(ACT I, p. 20-21). Long explanation short, turns out the man ends up being exactly what she needs to cure her broken heart. Perhaps, Cariani attempts to express to the audience through this situation, that even if one goes through a horrible heartbreak, one has the ability to move forward with their life; with the right person.
Furthermore, a different scene features a man who, after a breakup, inks his skin because he presumes it was “criminal and villainy to have driven a girl like his ex away” (ACT I, p. 28-29). On the negative side, he misspelled it; instead of villain, the tattoo read villian. Apparently the fates have him in their sights, because ironically, later on he meets a girl named Villian. As of this moment, the author’s purpose or message escapes my grasp. The scene entitled “They Fell”, also leaves me with a similar puzzled state of mind. Basically it is about two guys who realize they love one another, yet they are not able to be close because they succumb to the continuous falling down epidemic that occurs. In my opinion, this could imply a handful of aspects; one being that the author desired to display that even though they experience tangible love, it should not be acted upon.
Equally important, in the scene “Getting it Back”, the author fabricates physical manifestations of the love that people relinquish to each other. This could really strike an accord with the readers by tackling love in that particular form. A few messages could be derived from this approach. People might ponder the truth worth of giving, or whether it is the size or the intent that matters most. An additional physical apparatus in this play is of someone who has literally become half the man he used to be due to losing all hope. In spite of that, he has found hope in someone else and even wishes for the person who had initially caused the drainage of his hope to find the true meaning of hope as well.
Another tale, “Where it Went”, has a conflicted spiral that chronicles the new circumstances for a husband who seems to have put his career above his wife and children. In light of this, the wife voices to her husband, “you just . . . you don’t pay attention anymore, you go away and I dont know where you go” (ACT II, p. 53). They argue over this matter, then eventually leave separately. Correspondingly, it is possible that Cariani’s message during this scene is that love, once lost, is never found again. Not to mention, the author also notes that sometimes people give the impression that they are blind to love. They often fail to see what is right in front of them without a not-so-subtle hint. Markedly, this situation is demonstrated in the section “Seeing things”.
Uniquely, the scene “This Hurts”, illustrates a man who has a condition where he cannot feel pain and is being taught by his brother what can hurt a person and what causes fear. Nonetheless, when he meets Marvalyn, she confesses to Steve, “trust me, there are thing that hurt you that make you bruised and bloody and there are things that hurt you that don’t, but they all hurt” (ACT I, p. 34). Ultimately, this alludes to Steve shifting his outlook on life when he is lead to believe that this woman could grow to love him, and all his quirks. All in all, maybe that is also one of the author’s messages, that love does hurt, even though one cannot see the physical attributions. Maybe the entire sum of this play is that love, being more or less an abstract ideal, should have no concrete ends and no natural boundaries.