STAGE TUBE: Maiden High School's Canceled ALMOST, MAINE Launches Kickstarter Campaign

As previously reported, Maiden High School in Maiden, North Carolina, recently canceled its upcoming production of ALMOST, MAINE due to controversial content, specifically, a single scene, 'titled The Fell,' in which two male characters realize their feelings for one another. The Maiden High School principal made the decision to cancel the romantic comedy soon after rehearsals began, after receiving complaints from both parents and churches in the area, despite permission slips being signed.

Blogger and industry professional Howard Sherman reached out to Maiden students and parents alike to get their take on the situation in a new post, with confirmation that teachers and students might mount the production off-campus.

Now, Maiden's ALMOST, MAINE has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund that effort. It has already met (and surpassed) its $1,000 goal, with 41 backers, $1,363 donated, and 13 days to go. "We are asking for $1,000, but we can do the play with as little as $400, and we can also put together a more elaborate production with more money," the campaign's organizers wrote in their description. Watch their Kickstarter video!

ALMOST, MAINE is a play by John Cariani, comprising nine short plays that explore love and loss in a remote, mythical almost-town called Almost, Maine. It premiered at the Portland Stage Company in Portland, Maine in 2004 where it broke box office records and garnered critical acclaim. There are nine short scenes: Her Heart, Sad & Glad, Seeing the Thing, Story of Hope, Where It Went, This Hurts, They Fell, Epilogue, and Prologue.