January Brings Stormy Weather to San Diego with Cygnet Theatre's WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING

January brings rain to San Diego and WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING (dir. Lutfy) to Cygnet Theatre. Hailed as "The best new play of the year" in 2010 by Time Magazine, it's a powerful drama unfolding with humanity, surprising humor, and hope, as the past plays out into the future. The play, which opens with a fish falling out of the sky, has been hailed by audiences and critics alike. The San Diego premiere runs tonight, January 14 - February 14. Opening night for media is January 23.

Penned by award-winning Australian playwright Andrew Bovell, this compelling family saga goes back and forth in time from 1959 to 2039, and from London to Australia.Bovell's profoundly intelligent and chronologically scrambled drama starts in a crisis-filled 2039 in remote Alice Springs, Australia and then ricochets across time and place, charting the travails of several generations of two troubled families. It's a beautifully heartbreaking story that takes us on a journey across time where the acts of the past prove devastating to the next generation.

"I was drawn to the poetic narrative and the non-traditional structure," explained director Rob Lutfy. "At first, the story seems disconnected but then they weave together and audiences begin to have 'aha' moments. It's epic in scope yet intimate at the same time. Ultimately, it's a story about hope," he added. "It's about the damage we can do to one another and our extraordinary resilience to survive and for love to be sustained in spite of it."

This will be the fourth production for Lutfy, who was named Associate Artistic Director earlier this year. He previously directed the critically-acclaimed Sons of the Prophet, The Motherf**ker with the Hat and most recently Noël Coward's Hay Fever.

Lutfy is especially excited to be collaborating with set designer, Jungah Han. A former Cygnet Theatre Lipinsky Foundation design fellow at SDSU, she is now based in New York. The recent Yale School of Drama graduate studied extensively with Ming Cho Lee, the noted theatre artist who designed over 30 productions for Joseph Papp at The Public Theater, including the original Off-Broadway production of Hair. She brings a sparse sensibility to the set design. "Jungah and I both wanted a vast space for the actors to play in. We wanted a space that felt like an art installation, using lots of natural elements and was flexible enough to go from intimacy of a dining room to the vastness of a the night sky. And of course, it had to have a big rock!"

The cast features several actors playing multiple roles as well as different actors portraying older and younger versions of themselves. Returning to the stage after wowing audience in the recent Noël Coward Rep are Rosina Reynolds and Rachael VanWormer. Shaking off his Scrooge persona and stepping into the role of the patriarch is 2014 San Diego Actor of the Year Tom Stephenson. Making their Cygnet Theatre debuts are Adrian Alita, Beth Gallagher, and Cristina Soria.

The production team features movement choreography by Michael Mizerany, costume design by Jacinda Johnson-Fischer, lighting design by Chris Rynne, and sound design by Kevin Anthenill. Dean Remington will stage manage.

CYGNETURE EVENTS:

1/19 Designer Showcase

1/22 Social Media Night

1/23 Opening Night

1/27 Out Night

1/29 Theatre on Tap/Friday Forum

1/30, 2/6 & 2/13 Post-Show Stage Chat

1/31 Dialect Discussion

2/3 and 2/10 Pre-Show Stage Chat

2/4 Wine Night

Performances are January 14 through February 14. Show times are Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays at 8:00pm, Saturdays at 3:00pm and 8:00pm, and Sundays at 2:00pm and 7:00pm. For more information regarding tickets, please contact the box office at 619-337-1525 or visit www.cygnettheatre.com. Tickets may be purchased in person at the box office located at 4040 Twiggs Street. Discounts are available for students, active-duty military, seniors and groups of 10 or more.

Cygnet Theatre Company produces a year-round season of professional Off-Broadway-style theatre as well as thought-provoking and engaging educational programming. Cygnet is committed to maintaining high standards of artistic and fiscal integrity, and serves more than 40,000 patrons annually from San Diego and beyond. Cygnet performs its mainstage productions at the state-of-the-art theatre in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. An active member of the San Diego community, Cygnet has outreach programs serving tens of thousands of students and community members annually.

To post a comment, you must register and login.