A ‘Rain’ check
Kato McNickle’s play “Chance of Rain” won the national playwriting prize Theater for Young Audiences from the University of Central Missouri.
And now it’s being staged here, this weekend at the Norwich Arts Center.
The piece reimagines the Noah saga in a contemporary, southeastern Connecticut setting, between Noank and Pawcatuck.
To wit: A single father of two is building an ark in his yard. The neighbors aren’t too happy about that because, well, the ark is blocking their ocean views. Noah’s son is working as a duck-boat captain in Westerly, and his daughter is prepping to star in a production of “Joan of Arc.”
And then rain starts coming down.
The play is about the choices people make — “whether we do something about the current crisis or not; whether we learn from our past mistakes or not; whether we are kind to one another or not …” McNickle says.
“Chance of Rain” grew at a playwrights’ boot camp in Florida with Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist Paula Vogel, with seven writers working together for three weeks.
Storms were whipping and wailing at the time, so the works created during those sessions tended to have something to do with water and a drowning world.
“I decided to add an extra element to the challenge and create a play with humor and depth that could be performed by high school students and community groups as well as professional theaters,” McNickle said about conceiving “Chance of Rain.” “As a former actor and high school drama coach, I understand the need for imaginative work for this age group because theater is the kind of activity that changes young people’s lives. I would like part of my legacy as a playwright to be to provide some work that challenges young people imaginatively and contains social relevance.” “Chance of Rain,” Donald L. Oat Theater, Norwich Arts Center, 60 Broadway, Norwich; 7 p.m. Fri., 3 and 7 p.m. Sat., and 3 p.m. Sun.; $15, $14 seniors and military, $12 members, $10 kids 12 and under; www.norwicharts.org.