byPatriciaHunterMcGrath
PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTE
I believe this intimate multimedia performance of spoken word, visual art, story, and soundscape invites audiences to make deeply personal connections—to see their own stories reflected in mine, and to recognize that we each have the power to rewrite even our most painful experiences.
When I left home in Scotland, I thought I was leaving the past behind. But of course, I carried everything with me—my grief, my history, my longing. Over time, I came to understand that while we cannot outrun ourselves, we can transform. Through art, reflection, and love, we can face what has shaped us and choose to carry it differently.
A Geography of Rain is rooted in the emotional terrain of home, loss, and resilience. It explores how the landscapes of our childhood live on inside us—and how returning to those places, whether physically or imaginatively, can guide us back to our truest selves. For me, the sea and sky of Scotland are constant companions. Their changing light, sudden storms, and moments of stillness mirror my own internal journey. My paintings are not simply depictions of land or sea— they are expressions of what those places awaken in me: memory, sorrow, longing, and ultimately, hope.
PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTE
This piece began as a writing submission—my very first—to Scotland’s Stories Now, a national competition. To my great surprise and honor, I was chosen as one of eight finalists and invited to read A Geography of Rain on the main stage of the Edinburgh International Book Festival in 2023. Since then, the piece has grown into an hour-long performance that weaves together original seascape paintings, soundscape, and spoken word. It premiers at the Hollywood Fringe Festival and will be performed this year at the Edinburgh Fringe.
I’ve been a visual artist for over 30 years, exhibiting, in the U.S. and selling work in both the United States and Scotland. In my recent work, I try to capture the fleeting beauty of transformation—the moment when the storm lifts and the light returns. My paintings, like this performance, are a meditation on what it means to belong, to remember, and to begin again.
More than anything, A Geography of Rain is about finding light in the darkest of times—and choosing not to pass down our pain, but instead to pass forward possibility.
— Patricia Hunter McGrath
CAST & CREATIVE
Author/As Herself
PATRICIA HUNTER MCGRATH
Director/Producer
FIONA MCGRATH
Sound Designer & Visuals
JIM MCGRATH
Production Assistant
ALEX PHILPOTT
Special Thanks
STACEY, SUSAN, FLOYD, AMANDA, AND THE STAFF AT THYMELE ARTS!
BIOS PATRICIA HUNTER MCGRATH
Patricia Hunter McGrath is a Scottish-born artist, writer, performer, and educator whose work blends personal narrative, visual expression, and a belief in creativity as a force for transformation. Her seascapes and dreamlike landscapes—rooted in the shifting weather and emotional terrain of Scotland—have been exhibited and sold in the U.S. and Scotland for over 30 years.
In 2023, she was a finalist in Scotland’s Stories Now, performing her spoken word piece A Geography of Rain at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Whether painting, writing, or performing, Patricia invites audiences into deeply human spaces where resilience rises, light returns, and imagination leads the way.
FIONA MCGRATH
Fiona McGrath is the founder and Producing Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Theatre Initiative (LATI), which develops new work by emerging artists and expands access to international performance opportunities. Under her leadership, LATI has produced over 20 shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, collaborated with college artists across the U.S., and supported hundreds of young creatives in bringing bold, original stories to the stage. She is thrilled to make her Hollywood Fringe debut in The C Word and to step back into performance while continuing to amplify fresh voices through LATI.
BIOS
JIM MCGRATH
Jim has been drumming since the age of seven and has worked as a professional musician for over 35 years. He has recorded and performed with a wide range of bands and contributed to TV and film soundtracks. Jim founded Talking Drum Records and has six releases available. His compositions draw from global traditions Africa, Cuba, Asia, Brazil, and beyond—creating tribal-ambient grooves that define World Beat. He also teaches percussion, leads music workshops, and explores drumming as a tool for meditation, healing, and movement.
ALEX PHILPOTT
Alex Philpott is an actor, writer, and producer with a passion for storytelling across stage, screen, and the page. He earned degrees in Screenwriting and Creative Writing from California State University, Northridge. Alex starred in the awardnominated short film Contaminant, which he also wrote and produced, and appeared in the dramedy Frankie. His television work includes a lead role in Living the Dream, which he also wrote and produced. On stage, he played Kenickie in a production of Grease and has lent his voice to a range of voiceover projects. His poetry and fiction have been published in City Works, The Northridge Review, and Gaslamp Pulp.
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