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The Rainmaker (2005) >
News and Review|Village Life|TSPN|Amador Ledger Dispatch
The men of the Curry family have a lot to deal with. They are in the middle of a drought. Cattle and crops are dying and their daughter and sister, Lizzie, looks like she's going to be an old maid. Magic appears in the form of a good old-fashioned con man who comes to town promising the miracle of rain but brings the miracle of hope and the magic of believing in yourself. A wonderful tale of family love and the beauty of dreams.
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Sacramento News and Review
Drought Resistant: "The Rainmaker"
By Jeff Hudson, Sacramento News and Review
(8.17.05) Though The Rainmaker is a latter-day Western, its drama is about love and learning to believe in yourself, rather than a battle between right and wrong. The story begins during a drought and heat wave. We meet a patriarchal rancher who has two sons as well as a daughter of marriageable age. She’s very intelligent, but shy, and she’s been told she’s plain. The father is looking for a way to get her past this perception.
Unexpectedly, a handsome stranger wanders into town with the dubious claim that he can bring rain if he’s paid $100. The stranger is obviously a con man, but he’s also a dreamer, and a dreamer is what’s needed to break up the stalled relationships in the rancher’s household.
The Rainmaker dates from the 1950s, and some of its language is a tad dated. But the story--dealing with overcoming entrenched negative relationships and allowing yourself to take a chance on romance--feels contemporary. When the long drought (a lack of rain and a lack of love) finally breaks, everyone feels the lift.
This production by Main Street Theatre Works benefits from its pretty outdoor venue at the Kennedy Mine Amphitheatre, complete with chirping crickets; a starry sky; and a big, attractive set. But it’s the acting that closes the deal--especially Michael Claudio as the dubious but charming "rainmaker." It’s yet another impressive performance by this versatile young actor. Dale Lisa Flint is steady and sure, and ultimately quite attractive as the "plain Jane" daughter who comes out of her shell. David Campfield, with his spontaneous grin, is also a solid addition as her impulsive younger brother, while Dean Shellenberger is memorably dour and joyless as the older brother. Veteran community actor Ken Nitschke (almost unrecognizable in comparison with some past roles) is effective in a small role as the local sheriff. Susan McCandless directs and gives the production--which is set entirely indoors, though it’s performed outdoors--a sense of spaciousness that suits the West.
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Village Life
A Polished Yet Warm "Rainmaker"
By David Jacobson, Village Life
(8.23.05) At first "The Rainmaker" seems like an odd choice for Jackson’s Kennedy Mine Amphitheatre, seemingly designed by the Main Street Theatre Works to house Shakespeare. This inspirational comedy about the Depression-era drought in the Mid-West, though bordering on the corny, has enchanted audiences since 1954 with its quintessential American optimism, though it translated, apparently well, for German audiences in 1980 as Der Regenmacher. The 1956 movie, with Katherine Hepburn and Burt Lancaster, has become a classic.
Director Susan McCandless makes skillful use of the Elizabethan stage. Her set accommodates and expresses all the 2-hour action without so much as a scene change. And if you enjoy a picnic on the terraced levels among trees, the experience can be an apt climax to a tour of Gold Country.
The slow first act may seem like pages out of a Mayberry script, but Playwright Richard Nash lays a crafty foundation for the powerful confrontation to occur later. The story concerns the Curry family, a widowed father, his unmarried adult sons and daughter as they watch helplessly while their livestock die for lack of rain. In a desperate gamble the father, H.C. (Richard Williams), gives $100 to an obvious "lying con man," Bill Starbuck (Michael Claudio), who promises to bring rain in 24 hours through what looks like "bunk" and "hokey-pokey."
The older son, Noah (Dean Shellenberger), angrily opposes the deal. H.C.’s inadequacies have left him in charge of the farm and he has elected himself to be overseer of the family as well. His high-spirited and naïve brother, Jimmy (David Campfield), backs H.C., while daughter Lizzie (Dale Lisa Flint) allies herself with Noah in an attempt to block Starbuck.
The physical drought is emblematic of the family’s spiritual drought, and Lizzie is at the core of the despair. Despite her proud resistance, the family keeps making frantically transparent efforts to get her married off, especially to File (Earl Victorine), a divorced deputy sheriff who pretends to be a widower. Bright and bookish, Lizzie is also a splendid housekeeper but can’t bring herself to ape the fatuous wiles of the popular girls.
Noah’s rigid insistence on practical reality descends to cruelty. He reminds H.C. of his failures and insults Jimmy’s intelligence. But Lizzie takes the stab of his deepest wound when he tells her to face the fact of her plainness and resign herself to being an old maid. It’s finally Starbuck who transforms her into the pretty woman she wants to be. "You don’t even believe you’re a woman, Lizzie," he tells her, "and if you don’t, you ain’t."
Nash, the playwright, anticipated by two years the benign con artist Harold Hill in Meredith Willson’s "The Music Man," the angel in thief’s clothing who proves that you can believe in yourself. "I wasn’t lying," Starbuck says. "I was dreaming." In fact Nash may have been something of a Starbuck himself. Starbuck changed his name from the humdrum "Smith." No cowboy philosopher, Nash was born and raised in Philadelphia and with the birth name of Nathaniel Richard Nasbaum.
The capable, professional cast also includes Ken Nitschke as a soft-hearted but laconic sheriff. Julie Anchor designed expressive costumes and Ken Stefferud enhanced the set with soft mood lighting.
Performances run Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. through Sept. 17. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students under 19. They’re available at the door or may be charged at (209) 267-5680 between 10 and 5 daily. For directions and maps, plus other information, check www.mstw.org. The theater opens at 6:30 p.m. and you need to bring seats. The weather can get chilly, so it’s wise to bring a blanket. On opening night there was no sign of mosquitoes.
E-mail jacobsondb@aol.com.
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Hometown Radio and TSPN
An Inspiring and Moving Production
by Giles Turner
(8.21.05) One really wonders if life was ever that simple, heartwarming and wonderful. After all, it was the Depression; people were poor; the land was ravaged; droughts were the scourge. But the stalwarts of the plains survived the 1930's, maybe with the last vestiges of American innocence and simplicity and solid family ties. Whether it was really that wonderful is an interesting question, probably best left to the historians and philosophers.
In the meantime, we have the mini-American masterpiece of playwright N. Richard Nash, with his deep affection for the land and the people of the land. And director Susan McCandless has taken the playwright’s vision and turned it into a beautiful production for Main Street Theatre Works. The Rainmaker opened last weekend at the Kennedy Mine Amphitheatre and will run through September 17.
Local schoolteacher Dale Lisa Flint leads the stellar cast with her outstanding performance as the lone woman in the Curry household. Lizzie is literally surrounded by men--her two brothers and her father. Each knows he has the right answer to the unmarried woman's challenge finding a suitable husband. In the middle of this onslaught of unsolicited assistance, Lizzie struggles to keep her dignity and pride. As if these dynamics are not challenging enough for Lizzie, a stranger barges into the household. It's the uninvited entry of the Rainmaker, the catalyst who forces each member of the family to take a different look at himself--and at Lizzie.
It's a marvelous production of a wonderful story about family, survival, pride, reality and the intriguing world of dreams.
Dean Shellenberger plays Noah, the protective older brother; David Campfield plays Jimmy, the loveable younger brother; Richard Williams plays H.C. the wise and caring father. All are excellent along with Earl Victorine, who plays the local gentleman caller, Deputy Sheriff File. Inheriting the largest acting challenge of the ensemble, Michael Claudio plays the charismatic Starbuck-the Rainmaker himself.
The play is big; it's bold, it's Midwestern; it's American; it's the music of Aaron Copeland; it's the set design of Susan McCandless; it's the light design of Ken Stefferud.
It's an inspiring and moving production.
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Amador Ledger-Dispatch
"The Rainmaker" potential hit, "honest and truth"
By Brandi Ehlers, Amador Ledger-Dispatch
(8.17.05)
..."The Rainmaker," set on Aug. 27, 1932, somewhere in the Midwest, brings to light the hardship of living on a ranch during a drought. That in itself would be enough for a story, but throw in a family comprised of a dream-following father, "too level-headed for his own good" ranch manager/oldest son, a confirmed old maid/daughter, a spastic youngest son, a crusty deputy/potential son-in-law, a nosy sheriff and a con man/dreamer and you're sure to have a hit.
The sets were incredible. Props to Susan McCandless for creating such a believable world for the Currys. There was also the realistic costumes and lighting, which could carry the show to success by themselves...
Richard Williams played H.C., the father of a brood of three caught up on following his dreams. He's an endearing character; you can't help but feel sorry for him throughout the play.
Dean Shellenberger brought to life Noah Curry, H.C.'s oldest son. Shellenberger belongs in a Western; he owned that show. The struggle of retaining family pride, running a farm and being the sensible one of the family is evident in the entirety of the play. Though there are times where his character can be unnecessarily mean, the fierce protection he shows for his family atones for any of that. Shellenberger is a wonderful actor and portrayed his character very well.
Then there is Jimmy Curry (David Campfield). Campfield portrayed Jimmy as a spastic, uncertain, yet definitely irresistible character. He was constantly slipping on the stage, but delivered his lines seemingly flawless and made everyone laugh with his random comments. Oh, and did I mention he's in love with a girl named Snookie?
Dale Lisa Flint was Lizzie Curry, the sister of this delightful gang. Known for her honesty, her father H.C. claims he can always count on her being truthful with him, especially when he asks her, "honest and truth?" Lizzie's smart, funny and good at geography. The only problem is she's not that pretty. All she wants in life is to be married, to have a family of her own; yet she has enough common sense to realize that with her looks, or lack thereof, this isn't a possibility - or is it?
Deputy File, a widower shrouded in mystery, is the lucky man chosen by the Curry's to be Lizzie's beau. File fights the idea of getting close to anyone, even if it is just the dog that the sheriff is trying to give him. Giving his character something of a crusty edge and sounding a lot like Ray Romano, Earl Victorine was extremely likable in this role...
Known only as Sheriff, Ken Nitschke's character was, in one word, endearing. His overall affection and care for his deputy lead him to argue with File almost constantly about his well-being. Laid back and charming, Nitschke was the epitome of a small-town Western Sheriff.
Accused of being a liar and a con man, Starbuck is the man who claims he can create rain. Weaving a magic web with both his words and actions, Michael Claudio's acting was genius. While his character comes into the play somewhat later on, his dynamic performance could quite possibly be said to have made the show. The only thing that can be said about his performance is "two thumbs up!"
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Credits for The Rainmaker
THE CAST
H. C.: Richard Williams
Noah Curry: Dean Shellenberger
Jimmy Curry: David Campfield
Lizzie Curry: Dale Lisa Flint
Sheriff: Ken Nitschke
Deputy File: Earl Victorine
Starbuck: Michael Claudio
THE CREW
Director: Susan McCandless
Stage Manager: Maia McCleery, Sue Haldane
Set Design: Susan McCandless
Set Foreman: Ken Stefferud
Set Construction: Cris Flint, Marlene Linn, Ken McCandless, Jeff McClelland, Greg Motch, Jill North,
Graham Paul, Carol Sethre, Ken Stefferud, Jerry Trottier, Bill Yee
Lighting Design: Ken Stefferud
Costume Design: Julie Anchor
Sound Design: Susan McCandless
Props: Julie Anchor, Ken Nitschke, Marlene Linn, Ken McCandless, Cathy McClelland, Jeff McClelland, Carol Sethre
Sound/Light Operator: Mary Spitzer
SPECIAL THANKS
Amador High School Drama - Giles Turner, Bobbie Brubaker
California Stage - Ray Tater
Hein & Company Bookstore
Hospice of Amador Thrift Store
Pat and Maurine Crosby - Lizzie Ann's/Bubblegum Books
Laura Mah Photography
Mother Lode Printing - Barry and Sue Duncan
Season's 2nd's - Sandy Cordero
Chris Tootle - ACUSD Band Director
Volcano Telephone
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