When the Rain Stops Falling

By Andrew Bovell
Directed by Blanka Zizka

October 12 – November 6, 2016

“A powerful metaphor for the impossibility of escaping the past, for the way we are all shaped by what came before — and are living in the shadow of what comes next.” –Time Magazine, Best New Play of the Year

A fish falls from the sky in the year 2039. A man named Gabriel prepares to meet his adult son after being estranged for twenty years. He wonders why his son is coming and what he wants: to know who he is? Where he comes from? Where he belongs? Gabriel knows nothing; his own past escapes him. As the story of Gabriel’s family unfolds onstage, his ancestors come alive around him to fill in the gaps. With its web of intricately overlapping connections, When the Rain Stops Falling follows four generations of a family from 1959 to 2039, and from London to Australia.  As this family and their world evolve over time, one question remains: in the face of climate change, can we break our habits and change the way we live?

IN THE WILMA LOBBY: A Sustainable Philadelphia, 2039

To enhance the production’s exploration of climate change and a green future, the Wilma’s lobby installation, “A Sustainable Philadelphia, 2039,” will feature an interactive environmental education display, which will be open to community. Working with Plant Group, the Wilma has imagined how a resilient and sustainable Philadelphia might look a generation from now. The exhibit will explore possibilities of Philadelphia’s climate smart future and green infrastructure, with a self-watering planter with air-purifying plants and indoor air quality sensors; interactive tablets with digital resources; and outreach materials from the organizations involved.

Other contributing organizations include Philadelphia Water Department, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, The Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel University, Delaware River Watershed Initiative, Philly CUSP (Climate and Urban Systems Partnership) led by the Franklin Institute, and the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability.