Overview
Synopsis
The Rainmaker is a tale of love and a tale of hope, set in “a western state on a summer day in a time of drought.” Just as the Curry family is beginning to despair, Starbuck -- a self-proclaimed “Rainmaker” comes on the scene. He is full of dreams, passion, and self-confidence -- a quality unhappily unmarried, young Lizzie Curry especially lacks. Starbuck promises that he will bring rain and break the drought that is claiming the Currys crops and their cattle, if they agree to pay him the hefty sum of $100. Unlikely though his claim may be, Starbuck eventually wins over the entire Curry Family. Eventually, the rain comes -- a rain that nourishes not only the land, but the Curry family, as well. Nash’s romantic comedy brings provincial America to life in a heartfelt domestic drama about the importance of self-belief.
Show Information
- Book
- N. Richard Nash
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 3
- First Produced
- 1954
- Genres
- Drama, Comedy, Romance
- Settings
- Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- a western state on a summer day in a time of drought
- Cast Size
- small
- Orchestra Size
- None
- Dancing
- None
- Licensor
- Samuel French
- Ideal For
- professional theatre, university / college theatre, high school theatre, community theatre, amateur theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Young Adult Characters, Small Cast
Context
A helpful note from playwright N. Richard Nash:
“When drought hits the lush grasslands of the richly fertile west, they are green no more and the dying is a palpable thing. what happens to the verdure and vegetation, to cattle and livestock can be read in the coldly statistical little bulletins freely issued by the Department of Agriculture. What happens to the people of the west--beyond the calculable and terrible phenomena of sudden poverty and loss of substance--is an incalculable and
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Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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