ALMOST, MAINE Opens at TheaterWorks Tonight

A delightful midwinter night's dream, ALMOST, MAINE by John Cariani will play TheaterWorks in downtown Hartford. The sweet and poignant comedy runs tonight, January 25 - March 3, 2013, directed by Amy Saltz.

With an Our Town sensibility, Almost, Maine is an endearing comedy about people falling in and out of love. Nine unabashedly romantic tales of love are woven together with just enough melancholia and yearning to keep them true. It's refreshing, charming, smart and very funny. Come to Almost where deceptively simple surfaces peel back to reveal complex truths.

The production's design team includes Michael Schweikardt (Sets), Harry Nadal (Costumes), John Lasiter and Mary Jo Dondlinger (Lights), and J Hagenbuckle (Sound / Composer). Production Manager is Michael Lenaghan.

As the northern lights hover in a star-filled sky, residents of the remote, mythical town of Almost, Maine find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and hilarious ways. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. But The Bruises heal and the hearts mend - almost - in this delightful midwinter night's dream.

The show will run tonight, January 25 through March 3, 2013, playing Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays: 7:30 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays: 8:00 p.m.; Weekend Matinees: 2:30 p.m. Press Opening is Friday, February 1st at 8:00 p.m. The Lobby and Gallery of American Art, sponsored by The Hartford Financial Services Group, opens 90 minutes prior to curtain; seating starts 60 minutes prior. A free matinee for college students & faculty is offered Sat., February 9th at 2:30 p.m.

TheaterWorks is located at City Arts on Pearl - 233 Pearl Street in Downtown Hartford. Parking: Discounted parking is available to TheaterWorks' patrons for $5 at CityPlace Garage (diagonally up Pearl Street from TheaterWorks) and the Q Lot, (adjacent to the Metropolitan apartment building).

Admission: All Seats - General Admission - $50. PAY WHAT YOU CAN WEDNESDAY January 30th. Senior Discount - Saturday matinees - $35. Center Reserved Service Charge - $13. College-age Student Rush w/ID - $17 (subject to availability). For seats call (860) 527-7838. Appropriate for audiences AGES 10 AND UP.

TheaterWorks 2012 - 2013 FOUR Play Subscriptions are only $129. With TheaterWorks' unique subscription system patrons may attend a play any time they wish during its run and are credited with free seats if they ever miss a play. For more information, visit www.theaterworkshartford.org.

Eric Bryant (East, Lendall, Chad, Phil, Dave) makes his TheaterWorks debut with Almost, Maine. He appeared in the award-winning Off-Broadway revival of Angels In America at the Signature Theatre, where he understudied and performed the 3 roles of Prior Walter, Louis Ironson, and Joe Pitt. Other New York credits include Billy Witch at APAC, The Pillow Book at 59E59, and Even Maybe Tammy at The Flea. Regional credits include Leslye Headland's Bachelorette at Studio Theatre (DC), Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap at Walnut St Theatre, and Lewis Black's One Slight Hitch at New York Stage and Film. Film / TV: Deception. Eric is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Yale School of Drama, just down the road apiece.

Laura Esposito (Ginette, Sandrine, Gayle, Hope) TheaterWorks: Debut. Off-Broadway: Dramatis Personae (The Playwrights Realm). New York: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln - A Comedy (Upright Citizen's Brigade); Jester's Dead (The Pit); Even Maybe Tammy (The Flea); Lines in Code (Three Legged Dog); Moloch and Other Demons (Here & The Brick). Regional: Shipwrecked (Triad Stage); Crashing the Party (Mixed Blood); Romeo and Juliet (The Acting Company, The Guthrie); Passion Play & Lulu (Yale Rep.) Film: Better Luck Tomorrow (MTV Films). Education: Yale School of Drama, NYU Tisch