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"Rain comes to the man that ain't nervous."
The words of the character "Starbuck" came channeled through Patrick McMahan, on stage for the opening dress rehearsal of Kensington Arts Theatre's production of "110 in the Shade." Sunday marked the first time the show's players had come together with all stage elements, and like the drought-stricken townsfolk of the musical, the 30-odd volunteers assembled at the Kensington Town Center on the coin edge of hope and anxiety.
All around, actors half-dressed as cowboys and half as civilians scrambled to don their costumes, glom on stage makeup, douse each other in hairspray and sneak nibbles from the fruit platter set out for the cast. Stage manager Bridget Muhlberger cupped her hands and loudly chided everyone for setting non-props on the props table. It was five minutes to "places," and nearly two and a half months since casting calls.
"It's exciting and scary," McMahan said before the rehearsal. "It's a crazy day. It's a full tech run, which means everything's in place, costumes, set, lighting, and the orchestra. We've never been on the stage except yesterday, and yesterday we just sang with the orchestra and ran through the cues."
Katie McManus of Arlington, who plays the leading lady, "Katie," surveyed it all with a ready confidence. Dress rehearsal was just a step closer to opening night.
"You rehearse and rehearse and it's always in front of the same people. Live theater is live for a reason, you need the audience to really make the play," McManus said. "I'm looking forward to seeing everything come together."
"110 in the Shade" is a musical based on the play "The Rainmaker" by N. Richard Nash. Set in the American West in the 1920s, it tells the story of a parched town seeking rain from the skies and connection with each other. When the traveling conman "Starbuck," rolls into town on his wagon and promises to make it rain for a fee, he kindles the belief of the townsfolk , and eventually helps "Lizzie," the heroine and skeptic, believe in herself. Starbuck and the town Sheriff Foil vie for her heart as opposing protagonists.
"It's ‘Oklahoma' with a kick," said Craig Pittinati, the show's artistic director and the founder of KAT, now in its seventh season. "No one touches this show, no one does it. It's not fluffy. It's very artistic piece, because there's not a good guy or a bad guy."
Though "Starbuck" promises to bring an end to the drought, the real rainmaker on dress rehearsal day was set designer John Decker, whose day job as a NASA engineer was put to good use making the skies open up in the play. Using PVC pipe punched with holes, a submersible pump and a garden hose, Decker began making it "rain" in his backyard in June, in order to make it rain inside for the play's finale.
"I did my research to see how other people had done it," Decker said. "But most theaters that do rain are professional organizations, not community organizations."
"It's freezing," McManus said of the rain, which pours onto the cast as they sing their finale. "It's not like rain where it's even, because, well I guess that's real rain. This is more like buckets. This is controlled flooding."
As the cast ran through the second act, Decker busied himself with finishing touches, painting a sign for the wagon and making adjustments to the set, which represented about five working weeks of effort in design and construction. Three months ago it was only sketches.
"Now after a lot of work and building, there it is up on stage," Decker said.
Also up on stage were the actors, singing and dancing completely in step and—save the occasional confused set change or acting with invisible props— rarely betraying the fact that this was only a test.
Director Michael Kharfen's laughter showed his pleasure with their work, in a play he called "one of my favorites." Off-stage, an actress deftly danced with an invisible partner, preparing for her next scene. The five-piece orchestra flipped their music sheets, strummed and drummed. The lighting director flipped switches.
When the rain finally came down in the final scene, the sweat- and hose-drenched cast erupted in cheers and smiles. And none were acting.
The Kensington Arts Theater will open "110 in the Shade" at 8 p.m., Thursday, at the Kensington Town Center, 3710 Mitchell St. The cost is $20 for general admission, $13 for Kensington residents with proof of residency and $16 for seniors and students. The show runs through Oct. 12. Visit www.katonline.org for dates and times.
