MAT opens gritty two-man show 'A Steady Rain'

Havre Daily News/Lindsay Brown

Dennis Teigeler playing Joey, left, and Martin Holt playing Denny speak during Thursday's rehearsal of "A Steady Rain" at the Montana Actors' Theatre.

The local acting troupe is bringing what has been described as a tough, gritty look at the streets of Chicago to Havre, with Keith Huff's "A Steady Rain" scheduled to premiere tonight.

The play is being directed by Montana Actors' Theatre veteran Chad Zuelke, and stars fellow veterans Martin Holt and Dennis Teigeler as Chicago police officers Denny and Joey.

The play describes, in monologues and dialogue between the two-man cast, their friendship from early childhood, joining the Chicago Police Department, and working to help each other deal with life's struggles over the years.

When the two officers make an error that results in the death of a young boy, their friendship is put on the edge as they try to assess fault and blame in their actions, set to the backdrop of crime and violence on the streets of Chicago.

The production is recommended for mature audiences due to mature language and themes.

The play premiered in 2007, and opened on Broadway in 2009 starring Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig, and has received wide acclaim from reviewers across the country.

The doors and backstage lounge open today at 7:30 p.m. in the Little Theatre on the west end of Cowan Hall on the Montana State University-Northern campus. The production starts at 8 p.m.

The play is scheduled to run Saturday as well, and Thursday through Saturday April 18-20 and April 25-27.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors, and free for Northern students with a valid student identification card.