The first time I heard the name “Starbuck” it predated my addiction to the caffeinated brew that costs half my monthly rent. As a theater major attending my first campus production, the name Starbuck was forever emblazoned on my heart by the sophomore actor who played the character by that name in the classic American play I’ll never forget: The Rainmaker, by N. Richard Nash. And now you have the chance to develop a crush on your very own Starbuck at the Shelton Theatre’s production of that same play, directed by Julie Dimas-Lockfeld. Escape from the mad holiday festivities, and take yourself back to the quiet prairie days of an American West where the most pressing problems were of weather and the human heart. Meet Matt Shelton’s Starbuck, the con man who rattles into town promising to bring the rain, with his mix of ballyhoo and bravura, convincing the desperate townspeople he’s for real, and moistening the heart of Lizzie, whose heart has been dry for years. He makes a true believer of Lizzie, and the play will do the same for you.
The Rainmaker
Shelton Theater, 533 Sutter Street (near Post)
Friday–Saturday 8 p.m. through Dec. 22, $38
sheltontheater.org, 415-882-9100
