Gregg Wolff as Gabriel York (Photo by Jamie Foster Photography)

We have another rare, dark weekend coming up this week, but don’t think for a moment that there’s nothing going on inside the theatre on Morro Street. This will be a very busy weekend indeed as the director, cast and crew put together all the technical elements for our next show. Set, costumes, lighting, sound and video. Monday begins a marathon week of final dress rehearsals before opening night for…

WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING
by Andrew Bovell
October 28-November 13

Hailed as the “best new play of the year” by Time Magazine in 2010, this fascinating family mystery begins in the heart of the Australian desert in 2039, then travels through time and space to a claustrophobic London flat in 1959, and finally to the windswept coast of southern Australia in 1988. The play interweaves a series of connected stories, moving back and forth in time, as seven people confront the mysteries of their past in order to understand their future. This powerful drama unfolds with humanity, surprising humor and hope, as the past plays out into the future.

Director Ron Clark

Director Ron Clark’s program notes set the stage very well:

“Every family has secrets. Even the neighbors down the street with the white picket fence whose children return for every major holiday. Even my family…even yours.

Think about that for a moment. Really THINK about it, because it will make this production of When the Rain Stops Falling much more accessible and meaningful to you. While the play seems elastic in its timeline, the emotional truth of it is irrefutable, according to Playwright Andrew Bovell.

We all want to believe that we can make smarter choices than our ancestors; live more authentically than they did; control our own destinies unfettered by the mistakes our parents inflicted upon us. Bovell has a different point of view that he rigorously pursues in this play. He seems to agree with the Bible verse guaranteeing “the iniquity of the fathers on to the children to the third and the fourth generations.”

I’m not a theologian. It does seem clear however that as we deal with potentially catastrophic issues like climate change, we are well advised to examine our own choices about how we deal with our children (and they are ALL our children), our fellow human beings of all ages and, of course, our Mother Earth.

Our situation is not hopeless on any front, but it’s high time to accept responsibility so we can honestly offer hope to the next generations of our individual and global families.

Thanks for being here. Relax for ninety or so minutes and let the mysteries of When the Rain Stops Falling simply unfold before you.”

Gregory Gorrindo as Gabriel Law and Erin Parsons as Gabrielle York (Photo by Jamie Foster Photography)

We’ve put together a simple “family tree” that we think you’ll find helpful when you see the show. The actors’ names are indicated below the names of the characters they portray. If no actor is listed, then that character is never seen onstage, although they may be referred to. We’ll have a copy of our “tree” in the playbill and on display in the lobby. As a dedicated blog reader, you get the first peek and the first chance to get to know the people who inhabit this play.

When the Rain Stops Falling contains strong language and story elements that some may find disturbing or offensive. None of these elements are gratuitous and all are important to the story and the themes in the play. If you would like more information about the language or the specific story elements, please contact Kevin Harris and he’ll be happy to speak with you about the show and about why we chose it for the season. You’re also welcome to attend a “talk-back” with the cast and the director on Saturday, October 29, immediately following the matinee performance, at about 3:45 – 4:00 pm.

Photo by Jamie Foster Photography

Watch for more posts about When the Rain Stops Falling over the next couple of weeks as we continue to explore the complexities of Andrew Bovell’s play. I’m really looking forward to this one.  It’s a fascinating and beautifully-written play and I hope you’ll take the journey with us.