Three Days of Rain is a play by
Richard Greenberg.
The play
centers on Walker, his sister Nan, and their childhood friend Pip,
who all meet in an unoccupied loft in lower Manhattan
in 1995 to divide the legacy of their late fathers,
who were partners in a renowned architecture firm. In an
effort to bring some peace to their own lives, the three search for
clues that might explain what had gone on between their fathers,
and the women in their lives, decades before. The story then shifts
to that earlier time, with the same three actors portraying members
of the previous generation in the same loft, during the fateful
1960 "three days of rain," which gives the play its title. "As
today writing after
three days of rain" is also a line
from W. S. Merwin's poem, "For the Anniversary of My Death"
(1967).
The play
was commissioned and originally produced by South Coast
Repertory
in 1997, and had its New York premiere later that
year, in a production at the Manhattan Theatre Club
featuring Patricia
Clarkson, John Slattery and
Bradley Whitford. It was
nominated for the
Pulitzer prize in
drama, and has enjoyed many subsequent productions in regional
theatres across the United States and abroad. The most famous
production to date was on Broadway, where the play was used as a
star vehicle for the heavily promoted stage debut of film star
Julia Roberts.
Opening on April 19 2006 at the Bernard
B.
Jacobs Theatre
, the production included Paul
Rudd, and Bradley Cooper.
Although it was certainly the most eagerly awaited show of the
Broadway season in the popular press, it met with poor response
from theatrical reviewers and closed as scheduled in June
2006.
Seattle Public Theater Production, February 2008
The Seattle Public Theater (at Greenlake) produced Three Days of
Rain between February 1-24, 2008. The dual role of Walker/Ned was
played by Evan Whitfield, also seen at Seattle Public theater in
his outstanding performance in
Lobby
Hero.
Peter Dylan played the roles
of Theo/Pip; program notes inform readers that he is also the
resident carpenter for Seattle's Capitol Hill Arts Center. The
third role, Nan/Lina, was played by
Sheila Daniels, the recently-named Associate
Director of the Intiman Theater in Seattle. The production was
directed by
Aimée Bruneau.
Nimax Theatres, London, 2009
Three Days Of Rain played at the Apollo Theatre in London from
January 30 to May 9, 2009.
James McAvoy
(Walker/Ned) and
Nigel Harman
(Pip/Theo) starred in it alongside
Lyndsey Marshal. The production was directed
by Jamie Lloyd.