Unlike other romantic comedies, Almost, Maine presents the stories of many small groups of people instead of one group of main characters. The play focuses on the complexities of love between nine pairs of people.

The play takes place in Maine, not in a city but in a small area referred to as Almost. The various stories portray couples of all different types, including people that have been married for years, as well as people that barely know one another. Throughout the selection of the play there have been a few controversies. One of those being, around the selection of the play is the idea of the same sex couple storyline. This short story portrays two men that begin as friends and start to fall for each other. The couple will be played by Liam Roy and Xavier Cedeno Bravo, who have really embraced the roles. April Marion, head of the theater department, confirmed that the cast of the play is very accepting of this storyline. She also remarked that the heads of the Manheim Township Performing Arts chose this play to present the subject matter in an accepting manner.

“It shows that people are accepting and it shows that love is love and it doesn’t matter who you are; love is different for everyone,” Marion said. She mentioned that the heads of the drama department as well as many of the play’s participants agree with her, which conveys how accepting Manheim Township has been to this unique production.

Even though the Manheim Township community is fairly open to the idea of the same sex couple, quotes from other productions have shown that this play has drawn controversy at other high schools. Such the case in 2014, when Maiden High School in Maiden, North Carolina shut down the production of Almost, Maine at the school because of numerous complaints, all relating  to the homosexual characters

According to Playbill.com, “some parents and area churches complained about the play’s inclusion of a same-sex couple.” This statement was released by Playbill shortly after the play was canceled. This was a shock for students because the school is known for its performing arts program.

Even though this play has been shown to bring forward a controversial topic, the MTPA production continues to function with little to no issues. The MTPA believes that the production of this play will bring a fresh perspective to the school, which is evidenced by many people who have not been involved in previous years joining in to help, according to Marion.

Marion mentioned that the production is going very smoothly, and said that many people have really embraced their roles this year. These include,freshman Ayush Iyer, sophomore Maddie Capizzi, senior Grant Dombach, and many others as well. Marion also mentioned that she especially excited because this is her first play.

The production of Almost Maine will combine nine different stories to present that even though it may defy logic, love is love.