Portland Stage Offers Free, Live, Digital Series With Tony-Nominated Actor, Almost, Maine Playwright and Novelist, John Cariani

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Nov 06, 2020, 08:34 ET

PORTLAND, Maine, Nov. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PORTLAND STAGE invites the public to register to attend Almost, Maine-the Writer's Cut, a three-part series of live, selected readings from the newly published novel, Almost, Maine, read by the novelist, John Cariani, followed by a live Q&A. All sessions are free to those who register.

John Cariani and Kathy McCafferty, Portland Stage 2019-20 season "Almost, Maine" by John Cariani. Photo by Mical Hutson.

John Cariani, "Almost, Maine" by John Cariani

The novel, Almost, Maine, is based on the play of the same title, which was workshopped at Portland Stage's New Works Festival, Little Festival of the Unexpected, in 2003. The play premiered on the Portland Stage Mainstage in 2004 and has since become one of the most popular plays in the United States and around the world, with thousands of productions to date—in dozens of different languages.

The New York Times described Almost, Maine (the play) as, "A higher-concept and more clever version of Hollywood hits like Love Actually and Valentine's Day, this rom-com leans on shrewd writing rather than star power in its nine interlocking love stories. [It] alternates beautiful, evocative prose with stutteringly awkward exchanges and often very funny sight gags."

The three-part live digital series, Almost, Maine-the Writer's Cut, is an opportunity for readers, actors, and aspiring playwrights and novelists to spend time with the gifted and generous artist who is often seen after shows spending hours connecting with his fans. Cariani has recently appeared on Broadway as Itzik in the Tony Award-winning musical, The Band's Visit. Other Broadway credits include Nigel Bottom in Something Rotten! for which he received an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination and Fiddler on the Roof, for which he won an Outer Critics Circle Award and received a Tony Award nomination.

Almost, Maine the novel by John Cariani, was published by Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group, on March 31, 2020.

SUPPORTERS
Almost, Maine-the Writer's Cut, a three-part digital series, is generously sponsored by Wright-Ryan Construction Inc. For more than thirty-five years, Wright-Ryan has delivered construction services of the highest professional standard to clients throughout northern New England.

QUICK INFO
Dates of Live Reading/Q&A:
Saturday | Nov 7 | 5:30 pm
Saturday | Nov 14 | 5:30 pm
Saturday | Nov 21 | 5:30 pm
Run Time: Approximately 1 hour
Box Office Hours: Noon to 6 p.m., Tue – Sun.
Box Office Phone: 207.774.0465
Box Office Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.portlandstage.org/
Register Online: https://sforce.co/2HTcLN2