Next Saturday, on November 20, the Dan Gordon's play "Rain Man" reaches the Vanemuine Small Building stage. "Rain Man" is known for the namesake movie version (1988) that won four Oscars, there the main characters were played by Dustin Hoffmann and Tom Cruise. The movie's screenplay authors are Ronald Bass and Barry Morrow, and the screenplay is based on the story told by Barry Morrow. "Rain Man" reached the theatre stages in 2008 at the Apollo Theatre of the London's West End. In the first production one of the main characters was successfully played by the movie star Josh Hartnett. Dan Gordon's play version has also reached the Australian and Israeli stages.
The Vanemuine staging crew comprises – translator Peeter Sauter, director Georg Malvius (Sweden), designer Ellen Cairns (Scotland), light designer Andres Sarv, composer Siim Randla and actors Riho Kütsar, Aivar Tommingas, Ragne Pekarev, Marika Barabanštšikova, Robert Annus and Margus Jaanovits. MGM ON STAGE, Darcie Denkert and Dean Stolber have given the production a special licence.
"Georg Malvius has expressed his desire to bring out a drama production at the Vanemuine for some time already. The idea of "Rain Man" seemed more waterproof than others. It is an especially humane, captivating and simply a very beautiful story. And another advantage is naturally the opportunity for the actors to truly shine in their roles," said the Vanemuine Drama Director Sven Karja.
About the production's plot: a self-centred businessman Charlie Babbit sees in his father's death and the solid legacy accompanied by it, above all, a life belt to his financial difficulties. Unexpectedly it becomes clear that father has left all his money to his other son, Charlie's brother whose existence has almost been a secret to him. An even greater surprise lies in the fact that his brother Raymond is in no sense an ordinary man: he is an autistic whose brain can record complex texts and number combinations but at the same time being helpless in the simplest daily operations. Thus begins a painful, yet funny, sad and moving path of the two brothers learning to know each other.
The leading person of "Rain Man" – Raymond, has an actual prototype with the name of Kim Peek who lived his whole life in Salt Lake City at the USA and who has recently passed away.
"That story also talks about Raymond or the Rain Man but actually our production is even more about Charlie – how he changes from the moment we see him on stage until the last moment when he allows himself to finally show emotions and humanity. That play is about what happens to us when we meet someone with a different skin colour, religion, different sexuality, who was born different. That for me is the essence of the production," said director Georg Malvius.
The Vanemuine staging crew comprises – translator Peeter Sauter, director Georg Malvius (Sweden), designer Ellen Cairns (Scotland), light designer Andres Sarv, composer Siim Randla and actors Riho Kütsar, Aivar Tommingas, Ragne Pekarev, Marika Barabanštšikova, Robert Annus and Margus Jaanovits. MGM ON STAGE, Darcie Denkert and Dean Stolber have given the production a special licence.
"Georg Malvius has expressed his desire to bring out a drama production at the Vanemuine for some time already. The idea of "Rain Man" seemed more waterproof than others. It is an especially humane, captivating and simply a very beautiful story. And another advantage is naturally the opportunity for the actors to truly shine in their roles," said the Vanemuine Drama Director Sven Karja.
About the production's plot: a self-centred businessman Charlie Babbit sees in his father's death and the solid legacy accompanied by it, above all, a life belt to his financial difficulties. Unexpectedly it becomes clear that father has left all his money to his other son, Charlie's brother whose existence has almost been a secret to him. An even greater surprise lies in the fact that his brother Raymond is in no sense an ordinary man: he is an autistic whose brain can record complex texts and number combinations but at the same time being helpless in the simplest daily operations. Thus begins a painful, yet funny, sad and moving path of the two brothers learning to know each other.
The leading person of "Rain Man" – Raymond, has an actual prototype with the name of Kim Peek who lived his whole life in Salt Lake City at the USA and who has recently passed away.
"That story also talks about Raymond or the Rain Man but actually our production is even more about Charlie – how he changes from the moment we see him on stage until the last moment when he allows himself to finally show emotions and humanity. That play is about what happens to us when we meet someone with a different skin colour, religion, different sexuality, who was born different. That for me is the essence of the production," said director Georg Malvius.
Vanemuise 6, 51003 Tartu, Estonia | telephone +3727440100 | email teater[at]vanemuine.ee
