Venue: Vancouver Playhouse
Date(s): March 18 - April 13, 2002
Reviewer: Jane Penistan
First performed in 1954, this play has featured in many
theatre repertoires in over 40 countries, and in many translations.
Small wonder, for this is a play about the necessity of having dreams
of success in the midst of despair and of the eternal gift of hope to
the human race. Dreams don't always come true, but there is always
hope, and in The Rainmaker both are realized.
Into a drought-stricken family farm comes a wandering charmer who
claims he can make rain, for a consideration of $100. The pragmatic
older son of the family, Noah Curry, is a realist and on him the major
running of the family enterprise rests. Noah (Ari Cohen) will have
nothing to do with this con man who succeeds in winning the admiration
of the somewhat starry-eyed younger brother, Jim, ingenuously played by
Bob Frazer. Their sister Lizzie (Dawn Petten), has returned from a
trip to visit cousins in town, whence the family expected Lizzie to
return engaged to be married.
But Lizzie returns disillusioned and unloved. Into her life of taken
for granted hard work comes the charismatic Bill Starbuck (William
MacDonald). He lets Lizzie know that he admires her, and she in turn
begins to warm to his seductive ways. Starbuck inveigles his way into
lodging in the tack room of the barn until the rain comes.
The wise father, H.C. Curry (Tom Butler), sees through the wiles of the
wandering rainmaker, but also realizes the heartening effect he has on
Lizzie, and is prepared to gamble his hard-earned $100 to buy her a
little happiness in a passing fling with this unknown stranger, who
will move on soon, come what may.
What comes is trouble, in the form of Sheriff Thomas (David Adams) and
his deputy, File (Christopher Sigurdson), looking for a wanted man,
wanted for fraud. Time for Starbuck, the Rainmaker, to move on. File
is not, as he likes to inform his neighbours, a widower, but a man
whose wife has left him and is deeply hurt by the bitter rejection he
feels.
Although the Curry men try to befriend him, File is suspicious of
their motives. He has no wish to get involved with another woman, let
alone Lizzie Curry. But in spite of himself, File is not ready to see
Lizzie leave home with Starbuck, the maker of dreams.
In the tack room, Starbuck tries to persuade Lizzie to go away with
him. Flattered as she is by his affection, Lizzie is at heart a
realist. She does not really want the life of a nomadic romantic, and
File's pleading, "Don't go!" clinches matters for her.
As Starbuck is leaving, evading the sheriff's deputy, he returns the
one hundred dollars. Then the rain comes down in torrents. Taking back
his fee, Starbuck vanishes. Lizzie and File go out and waltz in the
life-prolonging storm.
This is a warm and compassionate rendering of a discerning romantic
comedy. The characters are well defined and intelligently acted by a
well-knit company.
The set and the clothes show the effect of a long dry summer on a once
prosperous farm. The dryness and the heat could have been emphasized
a little more, which would have made the climactic final rainstorm even
more dramatic. The music composed by Leslie Uyeda is atmospheric and
enhances the production.
© 2002, Jane Penistan
The Rainmaker runs at the Vancouver Playhouse, March 18 - April
13, 2002, Monday through Saturday at 8.00 p.m. with matinees every
Saturday and selected Wednesdays at 2.00 p.m.
Adult tickets range from $33.00 to $44.00, Seniors from $29.00 to
$37.00 and Students from $19.00 to $23.00. Group rates are also
available.
Rush seats ($19.00) are available one hour before performance, subject
to availability.
The BC-CTV Pay What You Can matinee is on
Saturday March 23 at 2.00 p.m.
The Salon Saturday is on Saturday
March 30 pre-show discussion (1.00 p.m.) features set and costume
designer Pam Johnson.
To order Tickets contact the Playhouse Customer Service Office at
604-873-3311 or Ticketmaster at 604-280-3311.