I've never felt such contradictory reactions to a play as I did to Almost, Maine at Olympia Little Theatre. It's an anthology set in a fictional settlement on a cold winter's night, and I both loved and despised it. Depending on where you sit, it might be the best date show you've ever seen. John Cariani's lovable script is now the most-produced in American high schools, stealing the crown from A Midsummer Night's Dream. But we arrived ten minutes before curtain on opening night, so our options for seating were limited. OLT uses a three-sided thrust stage; we sat at the "upstage right" side close to the backdrop. The actors were blocked so one-dimensionally we felt completely ostracized.

To read Christian Carvajal's full review, click here.

[Olympia Little Theatre, Almost, Maine, through Feb. 5, Thursday-Saturday. 7:55 p.m., Sunday 1:55 p.m., $10-$14, 1725 Miller Ave. NE, Olympia, 360.786.9484]