The Rainmaker
Written by N. Richard Nash
Directed by Stephen M. Genovese
at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont (map)
thru May 6 | tickets: $20-$25 | more info
Check for half-price tickets
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Brilliant staging elevates characters over circumstances
Bohemian Theatre Ensemble presents
The Rainmaker
Review by K.D. Hopkins
The last time I saw The Rainmaker was 1999 in New York with Woody Harrelson as a very athletic Starbuck; before that the film with Burt Lancaster in a passionate and earnest portrayal. In both of those productions the role of Starbuck and Lizzie Curry are front and center. The other characters fade to the background and some truly special moments are sacrificed for the star power.
The Rainmaker is set in the Depression when America was still very agrarian and land meant more than a ranch house and a pool. Women were portrayed as not much more than brood hens and desperate spinsters. Thankfully this production doesn’t have the all-too-common sexist feeling to it – a great deal of that is due to the remarkable Anna Hammonds as Lizzie. Hammonds’ portrayal is practical and not as full of longing as other portrayals of lonely spinsters under the grip of cultural misogyny. Hammonds is resolute and very much a realist. There is no bitterness with her station-in-life, even after a failed trip to meet a cousin distant enough to be a suitable mate. Hammonds projects more of an earthy longing than was the purview of such venerable actresses as Geraldine Page or Katherine Hepburn who have played this role. Hammonds’ Lizzie is holding out for her vision of what love should be rather than settling.
Daniel Gilbert is wonderful as the eternal pragmatist Noah Curry. Noah keeps the books and struggles to pull a living out of the dust choked land. Gilbert hits the cowboy brutishness dead on, eating his eggs raw and scowling. He is the opposite of H.C. in ambition and drive. Gilbert plays Noah as a man whose seeming rancor disguises loneliness. If Lizzie never marries, she will be there to take care of him in case he ends up an eternal bachelor.
I got a kick out of Nate Santana as Jim Curry. Santana infuses delightful comic flair and mischievousness into the many faces of the youngest Curry. He is the lucky swain who gets a love token from the fast girl in the class and defies Noah’s warnings of getting trapped. It is thrilling to watch the Jim’s progression embodied by Santana. His portrayal is perfect comic relief without resorting to country hokum.
 
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Perfectly cast Thad Anzur (as Deputy File) is very adept at physical subtlety with good emotional depth. File carries the burden of a secret that has impacted his self-esteem and masculinity. There is great synthesis between Anzur and Russell Alan Rowe as the Sheriff. The banter over a puppy is a really great slice-of-life dialog that reveals so much more than the sweaty angst in the screen version.
Matthew Keffer plays Starbuck as a con artist who believes his own line. Starbuck is part hustler and all dreams. Keffer finds a fine balance of keeping the character restrained as he evangelizes about the power of dreams and faith in a time of traveling carnivals, tent revivals, and séances.
Boho stages The Rainmaker in an intimate black box style. The theater holds at least 75, but the center stage seats are covered in burlap gunny sack, which turns out to be an apt visual metaphor. (Director Stephen M. Genovese also did the scenic design which adds energy to the action.) The Curry family farm is fallow and their lives have followed suit. Genovese’s compact staging smartly pushes focus toward the characters rather than the circumstances of their lives. Everything is just smooth enough without being too choreographed, flowing in perfect timing. This is a really fine show and I highly recommend that you check it out.
Rating: ★★★½
The Rainmaker continues through May 6th at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont (map), with performances Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays 2pm. Tickets are $20-$25, and are available by phone (773-975-8150) or online at TheaterWit.org (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at BohoTheatre.com. (Running time: 2 hours, which includes a 10-minute intermission)
Extra Credit: The Rainmaker Study Guide | The Rainmaker Program
