The Rainmaker reminds us how far women have come, and what unites them across time
By MARRIE STONE
Lizzie Zerebko, the lead actress and only woman starring in N. Robert Nash’s 1950s play The Rainmaker, proves the right match for her role as Lizzie Curry. Like the character who shares her name, Zerebko describes herself as a strong and intelligent realist with a bit of a dreamer streak. That might be just the right combination of traits women need to not only endure but find some satisfaction in a man’s world.
Set in the rural Midwest in 1936 during a scalding summer drought, Lizzie Curry’s prospects of finding a husband are about as likely as growing a fertile crop. Despite her skills in the kitchen, she’s a plain and socially awkward woman who fails to attract the attention of men. Her widowed father and two brothers worry more about her withering on the marital vine than they worry about their starving cattle.
Thankfully, as with every good romantic comedy, along comes a man who changes everything. Bill Starbuck, a slick and sweet-talking con man from out of town, brings the promise of rain for the bargain price of $100. He also opens Curry’s eyes, allowing her to see herself in a whole new light.
The play opens this weekend on the Laguna Playhouse stage and runs through Sunday, Oct 8. I spoke with both Zerebko and Director Andrew Barnicle about their take on the play and the timely themes behind this Americana classic, which they hope will both challenge and delight modern audiences.
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Photos by Jason Niedle
(L-R) Jeffrey Markle (seated), Richard Baird, James Taylor Odom, Nick Tag and Lizzie Zerebko star in the Laguna Playhouse production of “The Rainmaker”
Our conversations have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Director Andrew Barnicle returns to the Playhouse stage
Laguna Playhouse fans will well recognize the name Andrew Barnicle, who served as artistic director from 1991-2010. During that time, he produced more than 100 Playhouse shows and directed more than 40 of them. Barnicle returns this season to the Playhouse to both direct and act in The Rainmaker.
Stu News: How would you summarize The Rainmaker?
Andrew Barnicle: It’s a play about what women go through to get by in a world run by men. What’s expected of them. How they can overcome issues they may be having. It’s about a world that wants Lizzie to be cute and flirty and not honest with herself in her approach to men. She needs to find a man who appreciates her for who she is when everybody’s telling her to pretend to be who she isn’t. That’s the basic conflict of the play.
This character Starbuck comes in and, even though he’s a con man, somehow manages to convince her that she’s beautiful in and of herself.
SN: Did you have any relationship with the play before being asked to direct this production?
AB: I played Starbuck in 1974 when I was in summer stock. I was just a kid, starting my undergraduate work.
The movie came out in 1956 with Burt Lancaster and Katherine Hepburn. I really loved that movie. It was based on the play that came out two years earlier. So, yeah, it’s got a long history. I think a lot of people will know of it.
SN: How do you think modern-day audiences will react to some of the perceived sexism in the play?
AB: Well, the play sounds very contemporary. It’s got good humor. We get a chance to see how women were perceived and what was expected of them in the 1950s when the play was written. It’s fascinating for me to see that. I’m old enough to remember being there. But for younger people who aren’t aware of it, I think it’s very informative. It might anger some people. But ultimately, Lizzie is going to find herself and everybody’s going to realize what fools they were.
SN: This is the second play under the new Artistic Director David Ellenstein’s stewardship. Has his vision changed the feel of the Playhouse?
AB: David is very eclectic. He likes all different kind of plays. He likes musicals and Shakespeare. He’s doing a Molière this year (Tartuffe). He loves comedies. He does original work. That’s what an artistic director, in my opinion, should do. Everybody in this community will have at least one play in their wheelhouse. And the die-hard theatergoers will have a whole season of plays to enjoy because they’re different kinds of pieces.
David is also an expert at producing because he’s been the artistic director of the North Coast Repertory Theatre (Solana Beach) for the last 20 years and he’s done more than 100 plays down there. He knows how to talk to people and he’s a very good manager. I’m really glad he’s here.
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