A summer night sky full of shooting stars in a place known as Almost, Maine, is the perfect setting for young people to have heartfelt conversations with friends, find romance and plan their futures.
“Darker the Night, Bright the Stars,” running through March 8 at the Bangor Opera House, is a tender, insightful and delightful play written by former Presque Isle resident John Cariani, author of “Almost, Maine,” which has been performed more than 6,000 times, including twice in Bangor. Penobscot Theatre Company is just the third organization to produce the new show. Portland Stage launched it last spring.
While “Almost, Maine” takes place in the winter, “Darker the Night, Brighter the Stars” is set on Aug. 12 at 9 p.m. during the Perseid meteor shower in the same small town. The new play is similarly structured to “Almost, Maine” with four actors playing multiple roles in interconnected scenes.
“The best thing about John’s work is that his characters are relatable and human,” Penobscot Theatre Company Artistic Director Jen Shepard said. “We can recognize ourselves in them. We can empathize with their life, their hopes, fears and dreams. His work is gentle, funny and unrelentingly kind.”
There is a ghost in this show who is not seen or heard but is talked about by the characters. She was a classmate/friend who died the previous year of a drug overdose in a local park. That caused the park to close after dark, a plot point in one story.
Although Cariani hasn’t lived in Maine for many years, he is very aware of the impact the opioid crisis has had on rural Maine. The fact that he included an overdose death along with characters learning how to be open about their sexuality in a community where family, friends, employers and churches might not be welcoming proves how connected he still is to the community where he grew up.
Vero Villalobos, Anna Kemble, Josh Worster and JD Moore portray characters in their late teens and early 20s while the characters in “Almost Maine” are in their 30 and 40s. Many of these young adults are preparing to leave or are returning to the tiny town in Aroostook County. Several are beginning to understand their sexuality.
Director Cheryl Snodgrass, who is based in Chicago, builds a fine ensemble. She and the cast delicately balance Cariani’s humor, which includes lambasting Massachusetts and its residents along with Canadians, with the drama in these characters’ lives. The actors give them depth and heft in every scene.
Kemble of Bangor was in Penobscot Theatre’s 2026 holiday production of “Oliver” before heading off to the Royal Conservatory of Scotland in Glasgow where she recently earned a bachelor’s degree in musical theater. Her work in Cariani’s new play is excellent.
New York City-based Vero Villalobos appeared on stage in Bangor two years ago in “My Story Is Gluskabe.” Villalobos, whose roots are in Mexico, dedicated her performance “all immigrant communities” in her program biography. She brings diversity to the stage that makes for some especially poignant moments.
University students Moore and Worster give subtle and layered performances as each creates distinct characters. They make the most of the opportunity to work with a professional theater company.
For this show, PTC has partnered with the University of Maine School of Performing Arts. Worster, who last year stole the weak “A Pirate’s Life for She” at Hauck Auditorium out from under his classmates, and Moore, who shone in 2024 in “Birth and After Birth” at the Cyrus Pavilion, are students at UMaine along with Owen Hines, who was the assistant director for both shows. It is a collaboration that should continue.
The set, designed by Alivia Cross, is essentially the same one used for “Almost, Maine.” The trees are turned around to hide the snow covered branches but the backdrop, which features projections of shooting stars, remains the same. Projection Designer Arturo Camacho’s star-filled sky is magical and those shooting stars will continue to awe audiences. Mark Muir’s costumes, including an I Heart ME T-shirt, are delightful and JP Dedlock’s lighting design is wonderful.
“Darker the Night, Brighter the Stars” is a searing but loving portrait of what life in rural Maine is like for those on the cusp of adulthood. It is a wonderful companion to “Almost, Maine” and the stunning night sky to be found away from the bright lights of the big city. Don’t miss it.
Penobscot Theatre Company’s production of “Darker the Night, Brighter the Stars” runs through March 8 at the Bangor Opera House, 131 Main St. For more information, call 942-3333 or visit penobscottheatre.org.
