PLAYWRIGHT'S NOTE
Almost, Maine had a quiet Off Broadway run in 2006. It opened and closed without much fanfare. Dramatists Play Service Published the play shortly after its run, and surprised me and everyone else by becoming one of the most popular plays in the Dramatists Play Service's catalog, with over 70 professional productions across the United States and around the world. At this writing, Almost, Maine has been translated into over a dozen languages.
The play surprised me and everyone else again when, in 2010, it became the most frequently produced play in North American high schools--and has been among the most frequently produced high school play since then. At this writing, the play has received over 2500 productions at professional and non-professional theaters across the country and around the world.
It's now 2013, and Almost, Maine has once again surprised me. This past spring, Tal Gribbins, a theater educator at Grady Middle School in Houston, Texas, contacted me and told me that there was a great interest among middle school theater educators in producing Almost, Maine. However, in order for middle school theater departments to produce the play, the script would have to be tailored to suit younger actors and audiences. Tal asked me what I whought about working with him to create this tailored version of Almost, Maine. After some thought, a few email exchange, a phone conversation and some editing, Tal and I came up with Almost, Maine-Middle School Edition.
Please know that, although the content and language of Almost, Maine-Middle School Edition has been adapted to suit younger actors, the spirit of the play has not been compromised. The stories the play tells are very much in tact. Most of the edits are minor.
The biggest change was made to a scene called "They Fell," which is a chaste and innocent examination of two men (or two women) falling in love. Out of respect to faculty, staff, parents, and audience members who might find this scene to be controverial, objectional, or innappropriate for middle school student actors to perform, it has been rewritten as a traditional love story between a young man (a boy) and a young woman (a girl).
The orignial version of "They Fell" is available to pick up as you leave the theater if you wish or feel free to email ahetz@parkwayschools.net for an online copy. Please read it. It is my hope that after you read it, you will wonder, "What's all the fuss?" It is also my hope that -someday- two boys or two girls falling in love will not be controversial, objectional, or innappropriate and that all productions of Almost, Maine will use the original version of "They Fell."
Until that day, an emended version has been made available.
Respectfully,
John Cariani
