RAIN: for babies and their carers at Filament Theatre
First dreamed up in 2013 by Australian theatre makers, art therapists, and visual artists, RAIN has spent years traveling to festivals and major performing arts centers across Australia and beyond, quietly building a reputation for its tender, immersive approach to baby-centered performance. Rather than treating infants as tag-along guests at adult events, the piece places them squarely at the heart of the experience. Filament’s North American production continues that legacy while tailoring it to Chicago families, the result of more than a year of collaboration between Threshold Australia’s creative team and Filament’s own ensemble of artists.At its core, RAIN is less like a traditional play and more like stepping into a living poem. Audiences enter an intimate installation space where a trio of performers—working with live cello, voice, and movement—guide babies and carers through a carefully crafted environment. The world of the piece is inspired by rain in all its moods: the soft patter on a window, the steady rhythm of a passing shower, the hush that comes just after the storm. In this space, sound, light, touch, and motion are all calibrated to tiny nervous systems. Babies are invited to look, reach, and respond at their own pace, while adults are encouraged to follow their child’s curiosity rather than a rigid script.
The element of water provides more than just a visual and sonic motif; it becomes a metaphor for generosity, connection, and the elemental bond between parent and child. Just as rain nourishes the earth, RAIN is designed to nourish the early relationship between carer and baby. The performance creates opportunities for shared eye contact, gentle touch, and wordless communication, reminding grown-ups that these small moments of attunement are as significant as any milestone. In a culture that often urges parents to keep moving, keep producing, keep “getting back to normal,” this piece invites everyone in the room to linger in the present, to notice the way a baby’s fingers curl toward a sound or how their gaze follows a shifting shadow.
For Producing Artistic Director Reji Simon, that invitation is at the heart of why Filament has embraced this project. “We are honored to work alongside Threshold Australia to steward this thoughtful work of art to Chicago and North American audiences. The purpose of RAIN—giving families with new babies a space to autonomously relax, explore, and be curious—perfectly aligns with Filament’s values and the care we want to share with our audiences,” shares Producing Artistic Director, Reji Simon. “During the challenging and often isolating post-partum months, RAIN offers a space of community and reminds families to slow down to enjoy the precious moments of right now.” In a city where winter can make new parents feel especially housebound, that sense of community and calm feels particularly welcome.
RAIN: for babies and their carers is intentionally designed for newborns in arms through crawling babies, focusing on a developmental window when the world is still brand-new and every sensation is heightened. To keep the space responsive and comfortable, the in-person experience is limited to this age range, but families with older siblings are far from left out. Attendees receive automatic access to Glow, an at-home digital companion to the production. Glow offers a suite of simple, meaningful activities—turning bath time into a soothing ritual, taking a poetic pause over a cup of tea, or cueing up a baby dance party in the living room—that extend the spirit of the show beyond the walls of the theatre and invite the whole family to join in.
The schedule is crafted with caregivers’ routines in mind. Performances run January 6–18, 2026, with previews from January 6–8 and an official opening on January 10. Each 45-minute performance takes place at times that align with many babies’ morning and early afternoon rhythms: Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 9 a.m., Saturdays at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., and Sundays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The relatively short runtime and limited audience size are designed to keep the experience cozy rather than overwhelming, giving families time to arrive, settle, and transition without feeling rushed.
Behind the scenes, the care that audiences feel in the room is matched by the thoughtful process that brought the show to Chicago. Australian theatre makers, art therapists, and visual artists who originally developed RAIN have spent over a year collaborating with Filament’s artists to adapt the work for local families. That process has included attention to cultural context, community needs, and the specific ways Chicago parents are navigating early parenthood today. The result is a production that feels both globally informed and deeply rooted in the neighborhood, reflecting Filament’s ongoing commitment to making imaginative, high-quality theatre that belongs to its community.
For Chicago parents, carers, and anyone searching for a gentle first theatre experience for their baby, RAIN: for babies and their carers offers something rare: a space where the smallest audience members are not just welcome, but truly centered, and where adults are invited to exhale alongside them. With tickets priced between $15 and $30 and available online, it’s an accessible way to step out of the daily grind and into a world designed for wonder, rest, and connection. Families are encouraged to book early, then look forward not only to their visit to Filament Theatre, but also to exploring the Glow digital companion at home—continuing the rhythm of rain, and the moments of closeness it inspires, long after they’ve left the theatre.