The Rainmaker

The Rainmaker [1] is a play written by American playwright N. Richard Nash (1913-2000) [2] in the early 1950s. The play opened on October 28, 1954 at the Cort Theatre in New York and ran for 125 performances. It was directed by Joseph Anthony.

Translations and adaptations

Translated into more than 40 languages and made into the 1956 film The Rainmaker, starring Burt Lancaster and Katharine Hepburn.

Translated by Fred le Roux into Afrikaans as Die Reënmaker in the early 1960s. Published by DALRO, 1972.

Another Afrikaans translation was done by André P. Brink, also entitled Die Reënmaker. (NELM [Collection: LILENSTEIN, Mavis]: 2007. 9. 2. 25).

Performance history in South Africa

First produced professionally in South Africa by ***

1956: Directed by Leonard Schach for the Cockpit Players at the Hofmeyr Theatre, October. The cast: Alec Bell, Brian Bell, Walter Glennie, John Hussey, Johan Nell, Zoë Randall. Decor Frank Graves. Taken on tour to Port Elizabeth, Durban, Bloemfontein and Kimberley in 1957.

1965: Die Reënmaker, the Le Roux Afrikaans translation, was produced by CAPAB opening 28 August 1965 at the Hofmeyr Theatre under the direction of Suzanne van Wyk with Pietro Nolte (Noah Curry), Kristo Pienaar (J.C.Curry), Chris Fourie (Jimmy Curry), Babs Laker (Lizzie Curry), Dawie Maritz (File), Bruwer Engelbrecht (Mnr Thomas) and Paul Malherbe (Die Reënmaker). Decor and costumes by Bill Smuts.

1965: Produced by a local group in Port Elizabeth, directed by CAPAB's Pietro Nolte.

1972: Die Reënmaker, the Le Roux Afrikaans translation, was staged by PACOFS, directed by Wolfgang von Stas, starring Jan Prinsloo and Louise Mollett-Prinsloo.

1976: Die Reënmaker, the Brink Afrikaans translation, was staged by PACT Drama in theatres in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Natal, directed by Louis van Niekerk, with David van der Merwe (N.W.Coetzee), Don Lamprecht (Nico Coetzee), James Borthwick (Jim Coetzee), Annette Engelbrecht (Lizzie Coetzee), Franz Marx (Konst. Fred Kok), Johan Malherbe (Sers. Theron) and Marius Weyers (Bill Starbuck). Decor by Johan Engels and costumes by Frances Michaletos.