Event

Rain Follows the Plow -- at NextStop Theater

A full cast of the DC area's top Americana and contemporary folk performers bring to the stage Steve Coffee's new folk opera, Rain Follows the Plow.

The work captures and conveys the worldviews and first-hand experiences of those who lived through the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. It gains significance from reanimating an important and under-appreciated chapter in our history.

The expression "rain follows the plow" was a popular aphorism of the time, embodying the widely held belief that, simply by plowing and planting, settlers would impact the local climate and produce more frequent rainfall. It expresses the hubris and eternal optimism that is the special province of farmersand their enterprising enablers and exploiters.

The song cycle follows a narrative arc from the end of the "good years" through the relentless drought and soul-crushing dust storms of the 1930s, from hope and hucksterism to remorse and calls for redemption. The songs honor the tenacity and dignity of the people who suffered through those years, while also serving as cautionary tales about what can happen when we bend nature too far.