Doing live theater demands that everyone involved adapt quickly to changing conditions.

Greensburg Civic Theatre is proving its adaptability as it prepares to stage “Almost, Maine,” a John Cariani play opening the troupe’s 69th season on Thursday.

Each member of the cast of five will play numerous roles.

“One thing that has been more difficult for myself, but mostly the actors, has been to make each scene and each character distinct,” says director Jessica Zack. “Each actor is playing four total characters, and so they have the difficult job of embodying four completely different people.”

The audience also has to be nimble-minded.

“One thing that is important to know is that the entire play takes place over the course of 10 minutes. So while we see these nine different scenes unfold, they are all occurring simultaneously,” Zack says.

“Almost, Maine,” about the romantic foibles of the residents of a place so far north that it’s practically in Canada, will be staged 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday in the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center, 951 Old Salem Road.

In rehearsal since early September, the production originally was destined for livestreaming and a very small live audience. With Gov. Tom Wolf’s recently amended indoor event capacities, GCT will be able to host 50 theater-goers for each performance.

Moving ahead

Livestream or live audience, GCT was determined to forge ahead with its season, says board president Missy Greenberg.

“Something is better than nothing,” Greenberg says. “We feel that moving ahead is so important for everyone. Everyone really wanted to put on this show to prove that we’re still here, even if it only meant 15 people in the audience. And livestream is a great option for anyone not comfortable with coming in.”

“To be honest, I have not really been directing with the livestream in mind. Since the format is so new and I’ve never worked within that capacity before, I’ve just been trying to direct it for the live audience, and I am trusting the team in charge of the livestream to make it look good on a screen as well,” Zack says. “One thing that I think will benefit the livestream, however, is that each scene takes place on a small spot of the stage, and with only two or three people. So they will not have to try to squint to focus on people moving all around the stage.”

Cast members include Lara Daigle of Greensburg, Shannon Riley of Irwin, Erik Smith of Scottdale, Jordan Rodriguez of Carnegie and Stuart Ford of Greensburg. Stage manager is Vince D’Angelo of Oakmont.

In-person attendees will have to wear masks at all times in the building. Actors will remove masks while on stage, and the first two rows of seating will be empty. Safety protocols including social distancing will be in place with hand sanitizer available in the lobby. Volunteers also will wear masks.

Tickets and more

Advance in-person tickets are $16, $14 for ages 55 and up and $11 for students; call 724-836-8000 or visit ggccevents.org.

Tickets are $2 more at the door, subject to availability. Seating will be sold as general admission to enable patrons to be socially distanced in the 320-seat auditorium.

Livestream tickets are $10 per device for each performance through ShowTix4U.com. Service charges apply to all tickets.

The theater company also is planning a December Christmas-themed show geared toward a younger audience, Greenberg says. Two productions postponed this year due to the pandemic have been rescheduled for spring — “Miss Nelson Is Missing,” March 19-20, and “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” April 29-May 1.

GCT’s Greasepaint Players and Theatre Factory KidWorks also will host an 8-week musical theater workshop for ages 5-18, meeting Saturday mornings at the Garden and Civic Center, beginning Saturday. The workshop covers acting, singing, movement, improvisation, audition techniques and more.

Fee is $80. Student must provide a covid-19 waiver form and release signed by a parent or guardian.

Details: gctheatre.org