"I tried to tell a simple story about droughts that happen to people, and about faith."
- N. Richard Nash writing about his play, “The Rainmaker”
It’s the 1930’s, out West, during the Depression, with no hope of rain in site. Enter Starbuck, who claims he can make it rain for $100. There are those who believe he can do it - and those who don’t. And then there’s Lizzie, who wants so much to believe in anything – especially herself.
This comedy-drama Western started out as a one-act 1953 production for Philco Television Playhouse. The full two-act play was a smash hit on Broadway in 1954, starring Geraldine Page and Darrin McGavin. It has been translated into over 40 languages and the 1956 film version (also written by Nash) starred Katharine Hepburn and Burt Lancaster. The Broadway musical “110 in the Shade,” based on “The Rainmaker,” was written by Nash, with Tom Schmidt and Harvey Jones providing music and lyrics.