The ‘Almost, Maine’ Attraction is Almost Mainly Here
A Play for Valentine’s Day at the Longmont Museum
For the second year, :11 After Theatre Company and the Longmont Museum are teaming up to present “Almost, Maine,” a whimsical and heartfelt Valentine’s Day play, taking the stage on Friday, Feb. 14, and Saturday, Feb. 15, at 6:30 p.m.
The production, featuring a series of vignettes set on a moonlit night in a small Maine town, aims to capture the complexities of relationships in all their forms—blooming romance, heartbreak, and unexpected twists of fate.
“The production itself is a series of vignettes that happen over the same time period on one night in Maine, in a town called Almost, under the Northern Lights,” said Melissa Fike, a founding member of :11 After Theatre Company. “Every vignette is a relationship, either growing, dying, or changing in some fashion, and there’s a magical moment that happens in every single vignette that connects all the vignettes together. It’s a play about extraordinary things happening to ordinary people.”
:11 After Theatre Company has undergone several transformations since its inception. Originally founded nearly 20 years ago, the company went through different iterations before reestablishing itself during the COVID-19 pandemic with a new mission.
“During COVID, we decided to resurrect the company with a different focus,” Fike explained. “With theatre, you often do a show, and that creates a community. But we wanted to build a community first and then create professional theatre from that foundation. Instead of saying, ‘Let’s do a show,’ we said, ‘Let’s build a company together.’”
:11 After Theatre previously produced “Another Year” and “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.” Last year, it also staged “Love Letters” at the Longmont Museum for Valentine’s Day.
“We look for projects that play to our strengths,” Fike said. “There’s a lot of community theatre in the area, but we are all professional performers with professional credits. We want to bring high-caliber theatre to the community that is affordable and accessible.”
The choice of “Almost, Maine” aligns perfectly with the company’s mission to explore relationships in their productions.
“A lot of the work we do is centered around relationships,” Fike explained. “Heather, our artistic director, has an incredible talent for understanding human connections and bringing them to life on stage. That’s why we gravitate toward plays like this.”
Fike explained that planning for a production like this begins months in advance, starting with securing the rights to the play, as restrictions determine how many companies can produce the same show within a certain area.
From there, the team organized the technical crew, venue, and budget. With multiple meetings over the past four to six months, she noted that this level of preparation limits the company to producing only one or two shows each year.
The company’s productions are truly passion projects, with members working day jobs and wearing multiple hats throughout the production process.
“For instance, I’m also the props designer, one of the actors, a board member, and the treasurer,” Fike said. “So, I’m writing checks, finding our stage manager, our lighting designer, our costumer—there are so many people involved behind the scenes that audiences might not even think about.”
As a props designer, Fike has tackled some creative challenges in this production.
“For instance, we need a snowball on stage, but it has to look natural and not melt because it’s used at both the beginning and end of the show,” Fike said. “We also have beer cans that need to be opened on stage, but obviously, we’re not using real beer. So, we have to disguise them while keeping them functional.”
The production also features physical stunts that require careful preparation.
“We have a stunt call every night before rehearsal to make sure everyone’s bodies are ready and that no one gets hurt,” Fike explained.
When it comes to casting, :11 After Theatre takes a unique approach.
“For this production, we did hold auditions, but we also knew we were going to cast a certain core group of members,” Fike explained. “We weren’t sure which characters they’d play, so we did readings and paired actors to see who fit best. We also invited in some outside performers who had never worked with us before. It wasn’t a cold, open call—it was an invitation-based process.”
While the company is built around a strong, established ensemble, they remain open to growth.
“We’re always looking to expand and partner,” Fike said. “We don’t believe in closing ourselves off. The way to build community is to open yourself to the community.”
The :11 After Theatre Company primarily consists of Boulder County residents, with members from Longmont, Erie, Frederick, and Lafayette.
“Camaraderie,” Fike said. “The joy of creating art. What I love about this company is that we are creating something absolutely professional, and it’s not fly-by-night. We work really, really hard, and we have a good time doing it. But at the core, we are storytellers. And storytelling is so important—it connects us to audiences in a way that nothing else can.”
For :11 After Theatre, the emphasis has always been on community first, theatre second. The company seeks to create an open and welcoming space for actors and artists, blending experience with fresh perspectives.
“We were designed to be a community that does theatre, as opposed to a theatre community,” Fike explained. “Some of us have been working together for 15 to 20 years, and that’s because we’ve built strong relationships. But it’s also exciting because we have five new members in this production, and we love continuing to expand our circle.”
Founding member and actor Mike Martinkus addressed the unique experience of playing multiple characters in a production filled with love, loss, and magic.
“In this show, I play three different characters,” Martinkus explained. “Every scene is a different set of characters, but they all exist in the same space. What’s really cool is that there’s a magical moment in every scene, and they all happen at the same time when the Northern Lights appear. It’s a really interesting concept, and I love how it all ties together.”
Portraying multiple characters requires more than just changing costumes. To keep each role unique, Martinkus focuses on physicality, voice, and mindset.
“You change the way you walk, the way you carry yourself, even your facial expressions,” Martinkus said. “For some characters, I might adjust my voice slightly. Before each scene, I take a moment to shift my mindset and settle into the new character’s headspace.”
Thankfully, “Almost, Maine” allows actors a little breathing room between scenes.
“In this show, when I finish one scene, I’m not in the very next one,” Martinkus explained. “So, I have time for a quick costume change and to reset mentally before going back on stage as someone completely different.”
For Martinkus, the rehearsal process is more than just learning lines—it’s about discovering characters, experimenting with performance choices, and ultimately connecting with the audience in a way that only live theatre can.
“The most fun part of rehearsals is getting to play around and create a character,” Martinkus said. “You try different things, different ways of saying lines, different physical choices, and then you have your director to help guide you—this worked, this didn’t, maybe try it this way. It’s all about discovery. You do that until you flesh out the character and figure out who they really are.”
That creative process builds up to the electrifying moment when everything comes together—opening night.
“That’s when all of the work you’ve been doing for the last four to eight weeks finally gets put together,” Martinkus said. “It’s exciting, but it can also be nerve-wracking because, in theatre, something can always go wrong. In film, you can say ‘cut’ and redo a scene, but in theatre, you have to fix mistakes in the moment. And honestly, that can be fun—figuring out how to cover for something without the audience even realizing anything went wrong.”
Martinkus noted that the audience isn’t just there to watch—they’re part of the experience.
“One of the biggest ways to connect with the audience is making the characters as real and relatable as possible,” Martinkus said. “Someone in the audience is always going to relate to at least one of the stories we’re telling. Maybe they’ve been through something similar in their life, and seeing it play out on stage gives them a new perspective or helps them process their own experiences.”
Martinkus observed that the emotional connection is what makes live theatre so powerful.
“It’s more than just telling a story,” Martinkus continued. “We want the audience to feel like they’re part of it. We want them to walk away with something—whether it’s a new perspective, a new feeling, or just an experience that sticks with them after they leave the theatre.”
For those who don’t usually attend live theatre, Martinkus has a clear message: it’s an experience like no other.
“You could just sit at home and watch Netflix,” Martinkus admitted. “But there’s something different about seeing a story unfold live in front of you. With ‘Almost, Maine,’ you’re watching real people go through real emotions in real time. It’s something you can feel in the room, something visceral that you don’t get from a screen.”
Much like their characters, :11 After Theatre Company has had to adapt to challenges—particularly when it comes to finding performance space.
“Finding theatre space in Denver and the surrounding areas is pretty tough,” Martinkus admitted. “Most theatre companies have their own dedicated spaces, but some don’t.”
For :11 After Theatre, the priority was always building the company first, then finding venues for their productions.
“We focused on establishing our values, our mission, and our community before worrying about a physical space,” Martinkus said. “That’s not unusual—probably 75 to 80 percent of theatre companies have a dedicated home, but the rest, like us, just find venues where we can.”
While the company has built a solid foundation, securing a consistent performance venue remains a challenge.
“That’s actually our biggest hurdle—finding a home base,” Fike admitted. “We were originally slated to perform “Almost, Maine” in other local theaters, but they all fell through for different reasons. Fortunately, we have strong relationships in the local theatre community and work hard to cultivate partnerships.”
This has led to their ongoing collaboration with the Longmont Museum, a partnership that began with last year’s “Love Letters.” The museum’s Stewart Auditorium provides an intimate yet well-equipped setting for the production.
“The acoustics here are phenomenal,” Fike said. “The stage was built for orchestral and musical performances, so it lends itself beautifully to theatrical productions. The museum also has a fantastic lighting system, which allows us to recreate the Northern Lights effect for the show.”
With its blend of comedy, romance, and heartfelt moments, “Almost, Maine” intends to be the perfect Valentine’s experience for couples, friends, and anyone looking for an evening of enchanting storytelling.
“We’re so excited to bring this show to Longmont,” Martinkus said. “It’s funny, it’s sweet, it’s thought-provoking, and it’s something you’ll walk away from still thinking about. And at the end of the day, that’s what theatre is all about.”
Now, with more productions under their belt and growing audience support, :11 After Theatre is looking to the future.
“I’m really excited and proud of where we’re headed,” Martinkus said. “Hopefully, we’ll get to do an extended run of ‘Almost, Maine’ at another venue later this year. We’re building something special, and I can’t wait to see where it takes us next.”
