Deertrees Theatre in Harrison is a unique and rustic theater nestled in the woods, a favorite summer destination for visitors and locals alike. Submitted photo

HARRISON — Deertrees Theatre of Harrison will open its 2023 season with six performances of actor and playwright John Cariani’s Almost, Maine, a nine-act play of vignettes based on a mythical, far north community in Maine.

Performances will run in July on Fridays, on July 7, 21 and 23, and on Saturdays, July 8 and 22, starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 each.

Almost, Maine first debuted at the Portland Stage Company in 2004 and has since become one of the most performed plays in the United States, with close to 100 professional productions and more than 5,000 presented by community, college and high school players.

According to Deertrees Theatre Executive Director and play co-director Gail Phaneuf of Harrison, Cariani recently published a novel based on the play.

Lenore Grunko of Waterford is co-directing the production with Phaneuf.

“I chose this play because, number one it’s beautiful. And number two, it’s hopeful,” said Phaneuf. “It’s about a town that’s like a town but never really organized. It’s ‘almost’ a town, but it’s very rural and northern.

Bruce Carter and Teresa Dyer act out the scene “Story of Hope” in a production of Almost, Maine, a play opening at Deertrees Theatre on July 7. Submitted

“It’s nine scenes that [presumably] take place at the exact same time, at nine o’clock during a winter night. Every scene has two or three people, and normally there are a few actors that play a role in each scene.”

Phaneuf’s family had spent summers on Crystal Lake in Harrison since she was very young, so she was familiar with the area. But new to western Maine’s theater scene she did not have that many connections. She saw Almost, Maine as an opportunity to cultivate a new troupe of sorts, made up of local actors.

“I could call people up from Boston, where I used to live, to come do shows here,” she said. “But I thought, that wasn’t right. I wanted to get this community to come back to Deertrees. So I went out to all these shows at different theaters around Maine and put the word out that I wanted local actors to come audition.

“People love this play. Actors especially, love this play. So we had this big audition and ended up with a cast of 23. We have some who are very seasoned actors and some who are kind of new to it. The youngest player is 16, and the oldest is in their 70s.”

Terry Swett of Bridgton will perform the final verse of his song My Sweet Maine, which has been honored as Maine’s official song of the 21st century, in Deertrees Theatre’s production of the play Almost, Maine. There will be five performances of the play through the month of July. Submitted

Phaneuf took the liberty of adding one extra scene of her own to the play. It features Bridgton’s Terry Swett of Milltown Road Show, performing the final verse of his song My Sweet Maine, which was adopted by the Maine State Legislature and Senate as Maine’s Official Song of the 21st Century.

Phaneuf joined Deertrees Theatre at the height of the pandemic, kept it open and has been building on its charm and unique features since. Her goal is to see the venue as a destination, not just a country theater.

“It was one of the only theaters I know of that in 2020 was able to open during COVID,” Phaneuf said. “We made that decision because it’s a very open space that has giant open doors and windows. It was almost like you were outside but you’re inside.

“We have an art gallery and café. We have an outdoor setting. We have a cabaret where we can have smaller shows with smaller bands, individual musicians or playwrights. It’s a gem, Maine’s most majestic playhouse.”

The cast is made up of actors from communities around and close to Oxford Hills, save one who is interning at Deertrees from New Orleans.

“So we ended up with a cast that is all almost from Maine, in the play Almost Maine,” Phaneuf joked.

In addition to Grunko and Phaneuf splitting direction of Almost, Maine’s scenes, the cast includes: Lucas Allen, Oxford; Scarlett Priola, Harrison; Adrienne Cote, Paris; Dan Rennie, Norway; Jenn Rennie, Norway; Kelly Schell, Harrison and Chelmsford, MA; Ben Custer, North Bridgton and Avon CT; Terry Swett, Bridgton; Dinah Aldridge, Harrison; Alice Hamilton, Gray; Barb Stauble, Bridgton; Mike Newsom, Oxford Hills; Amity Gottschalk, Bridgton; Bob Sawyer, Bridgton; Ben Wells-Goodwin, Naples; Brent Lake, Rumford; Allison Taber, Harrison; Andy Pattle, Harrison; Bruce Carver, Harrison/Naples/Portland; Kathryn Gardner, West Minot; Teresa Dyer, Bridgton; Jill Drew, Harrison; Sami Sabbagh, New Orleans, LA.

In its 87th season, Deertrees Theatre presented a gong show/open mic night last weekend. Tomorrow night Magic Bus – The Who Tribute Band will perform starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $27.

The season runs until Sept 9 and includes other musical performances, tribute bands, fundraisers, and productions running the gamut from An Evening at Dave’s Sauna (of South Paris) to Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

More information about Deertrees Theatre and its 2023 season is available on its website: https://www.deertrees-theatre.org/.