Other Desert Cities

Other Desert Cities by Jon Robin Baitz

OtherDesertCities Program

Thursday, Friday, Saturday —  November 11, 12, 13
Thursday, Friday, Saturday — November 18, 19, 20

odcActors Theater of Orcas Island invites you to take a visit to the Palm Springs desert, and into the home of the Wyeth family as they gather together on Christmas Eve 2004 in an upcoming production of Other Desert Cities by Jon Robin Baitz (ABC’s Brothers & Sisters).

Brooke Wyeth returns home after a six-year absence to celebrate Christmas with her parents, her brother, and her aunt. Brooke announces that she is about to publish a memoir dredging up a pivotal and tragic event in the familys history  a wound they dont want reopened. In effect, she draws a line in the sand and dares them all to cross it.

Other Desert Cities, directed by Lin McNulty, features outstanding performances by Katie Zwilling (Brooke), Melinda Milligan (Polly), Tom Fiscus (Lyman), Indy Zoeller (Trip), and Suzanne Gropper (Silda). Power, passion, and superbly-crafted dialogue highlights this performance.

The most richly enjoyable new play for grown-ups that New York has known in many seasons  In his most fully realized play to date, Mr. Baitz makes sure our sympathies keep shifting among the members of the wounded family portrayed here. Every one of them emerges as selfish, loving, cruel, compassionate, irritating, charming, and just possibly heroic  leaves you feeling both moved and gratifyingly sated.  The New York Times

Other Desert Cities runs Friday through Sunday, November 11-13 & 16-18 at 7:30 p.m. at The Grange. Tickets are $10 and available from Darvills, brownpapertickets.com, and at the door. On opening night, Veterans are free. This may not be suitable for children due to language and content.