Review: A STEADY RAIN Exhibits Unwavering Quality

I had read all of the press releases and heard the comparisons to "True Detective," but that really didn't help me. I almost never watch those kinds of shows or movies. They aren't really my thing. So it was with some trepidation that I went to Birmingham Festival Theatre to see City Equity Theatre's production of A STEADY RAIN.

I also kept hearing another comment- that Marty Higginbotham and Patrick Ian McCall are two of the best actors in Birmingham. I would have to argue that they are two of the best actors you will see anywhere, not just locally.

Higginbotham as Denny and McCall as Joey play Chicago cops who are lifelong friends and partners on the force. Even if I were one to give you a synopsis of the play, which I am not, I don't think I could, because this story has so many plot twists and turns, as well as stories within the story. It keeps you riveted from beginning to end.

Written by Keith Huff, it is an intricate play that keeps you thinking throughout. Very true to life, there are a few light hearted moments woven through the continually escalating intensity. Most of the chuckles are closer to the beginning and come from seeing ourselves in the things that the overly brash and politically incorrect Denny says and the attempts Joey makes to keep him in check.

Every detail is thought through from the set and props to lighting and staging. I can find nothing to complain about. Directed superbly by Alan Gardner, this play is a great example of the collaboration of three very talented artists.

Higginbotham and McCall are flawless in their portrayal of very complicated characters in a very complicated situation. It is the kind of performance that will have you remembering and thinking about this play for weeks to come.

Both men are asked to show a huge range of emotions and thoughts and each one does so brilliantly. They both make you care and make you want to understand why they do things that you know are wrong, yet you want to keep trying to see their side of the situation until they make that impossible.

For someone who was nervous to see this show, I walked away with admiration for the actors and the tremendous job they did, as well as an appreciation for this genre. Kudos to producer Tom Wofford, stage manager Leah Luker and assistant stage manager Karin Callahan. Anyone associated with this production deserves a mention.

For a 90 minute show with no intermission, it packs a lot of punch. It is emotional storytelling, raw human nature, and gripping crime drama all in one intense production. If you like cop shows, great acting, extremely well done theatre, and/or thought provoking subject matter, then you owe it to yourself to see A STEADY RAIN.

A STEADY RAIN runs from now until December 6 at Birmingham Festival Theatre. For ticket information call 205-500-2701 or go to www.cityequitytheatre.org for exact times and dates.

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