MCC to Present Theatrical Production of Almost, Maine

MANCHESTER, Conn. (October 13, 2017) – Manchester Community College will stage John Cariani’s Almost, Maine on Thursday, October 19, and Friday, October 20, at 6 p.m. in the SBM Charitable Foundation Auditorium. Admission is free and the shows are open to the public.

The play explores love and loss in the remote, mythical town of Almost, Maine. It premiered at the Portland (Maine) Stage Company in 2004, broke box office records and garnered critical acclaim. There are 11 short scenes that will be performed by students currently enrolled in the fall semester’s Theater Practicum course. Almost, Maine is co-produced and co-directed by MCC’s Debi Freund and Heidi Michaud ’08. Freund and Michaud chose Almost, Maine for production so that they could offer substantial roles to each of the 10 student actors and actresses, allowing them to gain as much experience and exposure as possible.

“The talent among our students is undeniable,” Freund said. They’re incredibly hard workers with a lot of dedication and it’s going to make for a fantastic performance.”

 Freund and Michaud have what they call a “natural relationship,” which began when they acted together in Oklahoma at the Little Theater of Manchester last year.

Freund, who currently serves as MCC’s chief diversity officer, is the former artistic director of the Manchester community theater. She is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. Michaud teaches English for MCC’s Smart Start – a program designed to enhance students’ basic skills for transition to college-level composition or math. She is a dedicated tutor for students using sign language, and she also is a part-time educational assistant at Capitol Community College. She took her first acting class at MCC in 1998 and studied for three semesters in the Musical Theater program at the Hartford Conservatory before returning to MCC to graduate.

Both Freund and Michaud hope this will be the beginning of a more in-depth theater program for MCC. “It really does take a village to put on a performance and theater is such a therapeutic means of expression. We hope we can begin giving that kind of community atmosphere back to MCC,” Michaud said.

While admission to Almost, Maine is free, the college is simultaneously holding a food drive. Non-perishable donations for the MCC Food Pantry are encouraged. MCC’s culinary students will also be catering a post-production reception featuring “Main Food” on Thursday.