By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
Marking its 60th anniversary, Theatre Palisades opened its 2023 season with “Other Desert Cities” on January 13—and with it comes a complicated family history, uncomfortable conversations, and, in their own complex way, familial love and fierce protection.
The show tells the “story about Brooke Wyeth, who returns home to Palm Springs after a six-year absence to celebrate Christmas with her parents, her brother and her aunt,” according to a synopsis shared by Theatre Palisades. “Brooke announces that she is about to publish a memoir dredging up a pivotal and tragic event in the family’s history—a wound they don’t want reopened.”
Even before the first line of dialogue is delivered, the way the stage is set up invites the audience into the Palm Springs house of the Wyeth family, instantly immersing theatergoers into the living room and the forthcoming drama that plays out. Written by Jon Robin Baitz, the play is set on Christmas Eve 2004, which, even though it was less than two decades in the past, was another era entirely.
Siblings Brooke (Holly Sidell) and Trip (Levente Tarr) visit the desert to spend the holidays with their parents, Polly (Michele Schultz) and Lyman Wyeth (Richard Johnson), who are hosting their aunt Silda Grauman (Amy Goddard)—freshly out of rehab and navigating newfound sobriety.
The crux of the story of the Wyeth family is the death of Henry, who, after becoming politically radicalized, was involved in a deadly incident after joining a group based in Venice, California. The death of their sibling/son affects each family member very differently—ranging from Brooke who wants to bring the story to light in a memoir to Polly who, at first, won’t acknowledge his life and references her “two” children—which, in part, contributes to the breakdown of communication between the members of their family unit.
Sidell tackles the role of politically liberal Brooke, who is grappling with her role in the Wyeth family while attempting to keep an even keel despite her own history of depression, which led to a long-term hospitalization. She acts the part with grace, as she goes up against her conservative parents who have a deep desire to keep the past in the past and not publish the book—or at least wait until they are gone.
“In a time where having open political conversations feels increasingly impossible and the polarization of our population leads to insurmountable communication barriers,” Director Chloe King wrote in a note that appeared in the playbook, “the Wyeth family is a breathing example of the corrosion that zealous beliefs can create.”
Schultz and Johnson both give memorable performances as parents who are doing what they perceive to be their best effort to protect their children, including one who is no longer in their physical presence. Tarr nails the attitude of a brother who wants to support his sister, while remaining in his parents’ good graces, by floating in and out of the picture at opportune occasions.
But it must be noted: In the role of Aunt Silda, Goddard shines, coming both to the aid of her niece and holding her sister accountable, all the while with enough personality to fill the playhouse.
If you are searching for a light-hearted holiday-time tale that is easy to digest, “Other Desert Cities” is not it. If you are looking for a thought-provoking performance that will leave you thinking about the family members and their decisions days later, it’s time to get a ticket.
“Other Desert Cities,” which is produced by Martha Hunter and Laura Goldstein, runs through February 18, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., as well as Sundays at 2 p.m., at Pierson Playhouse.
The rest of the 2023 season will include “Run For Your Wife,” “The Andrews Brothers,” “Bell, Book and Candle” and “Towards Zero.”
For more information or to purchase tickets/season passes, visit theatrepalisades.org.
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