![\"Cygnet_Rain-2\"](\"https:\/\/sduptownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Cygnet_Rain-2.jpg\")
<\/a><\/a>The miraculous fish falls at the feet of Gabriel York (Adrian Alita), a reclusive, middle-aged resident of Alice Springs in Australia. He\u2019s received a phone call from Andrew, the 28-year-old son he abandoned in London when the child was 7. Andrew, a grown man, who appears in the play\u2019s last scene, has come to find answers to family mysteries, through which we have been guided since the fish fell from the sky. In the process, Andrew delivers relics to Gabriel, hoping, as all sons do, to find out who he is from his father.<\/p>\n
Primary in the unfolding of the awesome tale is the consummated love affair between Gabriel Law (Josh Odsess-Rubin) and Gabrielle York (Rachael VanWormer), who met at a roadhouse in Australia\u2019s Coorong, and fell in love while tracing the footsteps of Gabriel\u2019s father, Henry (also Adrian Alita), who had a abandoned his son in childhood and fled to Australia. We meet Tom (Tom Stephenson), the man who saved and devoted his life to Gabrielle and raised her son. Two men do the abandoning. Their sons seek them and the reasons why; but the women who love them are not inconsiderable in their devotion and determination not to divulge secrets.<\/p>\n The playwright\u2019s original, 2008 Australian production, which Director\/Associate Artistic Director Rob Lutfy follows, has a seven-person company. Two of the women play younger and older versions of themselves: Gabrielle York is played by Rachael VanWormer and Rosina Reynolds; and Elizabeth Law, wife of Henry, the original abandoner and Gabriel Law\u2019s mother, is portrayed by Beth Gallagher and Cristina Soria. To add to the play\u2019s fascination and complexity, Alita and Odess-Rubin both play grandsons and their own grandfathers.<\/p>\n After being hit by at least three surprises that no self-respecting critic or theater lover would divulge, the joy is in pondering of minutiae \u2013 something I expect to go on doing for weeks and months.<\/p>\n Cygnet must be applauded for having the guts and resources to tackle this powerful and complex work that requires absolutely top work of everyone. Lutfy elicits the very best whether the actor is new to Cygnet or a debutant.<\/p>\n<\/a>