The Rainmaker Reviews

Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended

"...Sure, director Alison C. Vesely's staging comes ready-made with its own feel-good family vibe. Her husband, David Rice, plays grizzled H.C. Curry, and their daughter, Hayley L. Rice, steps into the sensible shoes of Lizzie, the only woman in the Curry clan and one whose incipient spinsterhood in Nash's pre-feminist and drought-ridden American Southwest provides a source of alarm and pity for her dad and her two brothers, stolid Noah (Matthew Keffer) and flighty Jim (Alex Weisman). But everyone in Vesely's sure-handed production delivers performances rich with real charm - the kind rooted in emotional honesty, not cloying faux-folksy affectations."

ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended

"..."The Rainmaker" offers a totally complete play with its story, truly individual characters, and its very honest and beautifully timed performances by a fine cadre of actors. The fast smooth-talking Rainmaker changes the dynamic of this tight little family during hard times. He helps change the self image of several of the main characters. Does he change the weather and bring rain...you will have to see this heartfelt show to find out!"

Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Highly Recommended

"...The First Folio revival is one of those happy occasions in the theater where everything works-the directing, acting, and physical production. The production never strikes a false note. Its laughs are legitimate and so are the tugs on the emotions. Most spectators will be exposed to the play for the first time, adding the element of discovery to the viewing experience. It's inadequate praise to call the staging great summer theater. It's fine theater for any season."