Powerhouse holding auditions for fall production of 'Almost, Maine'

LACONIA — One of the most frequently produced plays in the world, John Cariani’s "Almost, Maine" will come to the Colonial Theatre this fall. Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative is looking for 18 NH actors to take on the dynamic cast of characters of this fictional Maine town.

The first round of auditions will be through video submissions, followed by in-person callbacks at the Colonial on Monday, Aug. 15 at 6:30 p.m. Actors will be contacted if they are needed at callbacks. Some actors may be cast directly from their video. All the details on what to prepare for the video and how to submit can be found at https://www.belknapmill.org/almostmaine.

Videos should be submitted by Friday, Aug. 12.

Performances for "Almost, Maine" will be Friday through Sunday, Oct. 14-16. Rehearsals will be Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays — each play will only rehearse two hours per week for the four week rehearsal period, one hour on Sunday and one hour on either Monday or Tuesday.

Directed by Bryan Halperin and J. Alward, this play consists of eight short scenes (plus Prologue!) that all take place one winter’s night as the magical northern lights hover in the sky above the “not-quite” town of Almost. Characters fall in and out of love while delivering Cariani’s clever dialogue filled with laughs and whimsy. Says Halperin, “Almost, Maine is one of the world’s most produced plays, mostly because it is filled with a bunch of meaty characters that can be shared by as few as four or as many as 18 character actors.

Powerhouse is looking for self-motivated performers who have been dying to get on the Colonial stage with them, but maybe haven’t had the time to commit to a longer rehearsal period.

Unlike a typical Powerhouse production which can rehearse over two months, actors will be cast in August and then asked to learn their lines and be ready to dive into a short rehearsal period of only four weeks plus production week, beginning Monday, Sept. 12. Actors interested in auditioning should be able to believably play in the 20s-40s age range.

COVID protocols can also be found on the website above. There is a $20 participation fee, but nobody will be turned away from the cast if this presents a hardship.

For more details on Powerhouse and all the programs at the Belknap Mill or to find out how to become a sponsor, visit www.belknapmill.org or email: powerhouse@belknapmill.org.