Almost, Maine

What are the different ways in which the playwright approaches the concept of Love in his play? Which approaches might be considered surprising or out of the ordinary when compared to traditional love stories? How does Cariani’s text interweave the theme of Love with those of Disconnection and Guilt/Regret? Explain.

Teaching Suggestion: If helpful, students may want to review their response from the Personal Connection Prompt before addressing this prompt. Cariani approaches the theme of Love in a variety of ways that include irony, awkwardness, risk, memory, and self-expression; additionally, he sometimes employs non-realistic actions or objects as physical manifestations of the complexity of love. While all the characters are connected by this human emotion, each pair experiences love in a different way. For some, love leads to a misunderstanding that results in Disconnection; for others, love is a painful journey that devolves into Guilt/Regret. Cariani’s scenes function primarily as vignettes with a brief insight into the exact moment of an interaction or realization that changes a character’s trajectory, leaving the audience to surmise their own ending.

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.