THE KEY PLAYERS PRESENT ‘ALMOST, MAINE’ IN KEY LARGO

Audiences should prepare to get carried away into a romantic winter wonderland, complete with snow, spectacular lighting effects and scenes depicting almost every type of relationship conundrum imaginable.

“Almost, Maine” is the most recent production presented by the Key Players. It takes place in the tiny fictional town of Almost in the state of Maine. It is here where nine couples experience life and love as they see it, in a play that promises to “split your sides and melt your heart.”

“We have love lost and love found, we’ve got the Northern Lights which signifies the love moments,” said longtime Key Players member Jonelle Kop. Kop is producing and directing the romantic comedy with a cast of nine veteran and novice actors alike.

“I have some people playing more than one role,” explained Kop. The cast includes three actors new to the Key Players, like Gaby Pozo, whose husband Robert is in the show.

“He brought me to the audition and I didn’t want to do it,” recalled Gaby. “Jonelle said, ‘You know, there’s going to be a kissing scene’ and I said no one else is going to kiss my husband,” added Gaby with a laugh.

Pozo and her husband play two different couples in the show. This will be Robert Pozo’s third Key Players production and he’s excited to share the stage with his wife.

“It keeps us entertained in a town where there’s not a million things to do,” said Robert.

The Pozos aren’t the only real-life couple taking to the stage in “Almost, Maine.” Luna Rivera and Jayden Ware are engaged to be married and each has multiple roles in the play. 

The couple recently moved to Big Pine Key for Ware’s job with Scouting America. They have been making the hour-and-a-half commute up to Key Largo since rehearsals started on Jan. 6.

“It’s been hectic,” Ware said.

“The commute’s kind of hard some days,” said Rivera, adding that the long drive could not keep her away from taking the stage in this show. Rivera’s been with the Key Players since the seventh grade.

Rivera and Ware played love interests in “Escape to Margaritaville” last year and also play love interests in one scene in “Almost, Maine.”

“It’s really fun when we get cast in that way that we are able to play off of our organic feelings,” Rivera said.

Through nine vignettes lasting 15 to 20 minutes, “Almost, Maine” delves into the many facets of love – from first love, to grown or mature love, to lost love and everything in between. 

This will be Alejandro Godinez’s first time appearing in a Key Players production. The 25-year-old recently moved to the Keys from Fort Lauderdale and thought getting involved with the Key Players would be a great way to meet people.

“I decided I wanted to socialize and network a little bit here in the Keys, so this is a good way to do that,” said Godinez, who plays Pete in the show.

Cindy Smith never misses a Key Players production. She is usually off stage serving as the theater troupe’s volunteer photographer. But for the first time in her adult life, she decided to take a role under the bright lights.

“This came at a really good time for me to be able to commit to the rehearsal schedule and give the play everything that is necessary,” Smith said .

“It’s a tender sweet romantic comedy,” Kop said. “It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will tug at your heart.”

“Almost, Maine” opens on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Murray E. Nelson Government and Cultural Center, located at 102050 Overseas Highway  in Key Largo. There will be a total of seven performances. Discounted tickets can be purchased in advance for $15 at Key Largo Chocolates (MM 100.5), Shear Paradise (MM 99.3) and Post Net Islamorada (MM 88).

Tickets can also be purchased online and at the door for $20.

Student tickets are available at the door for $10.

More information is at www.thekeyplayers.org.