28th Play - Other Desert Cities by Jon Robin Baitz
Tracy Michelle Arnold as Brooke Wyeth, Chelcie Ross as Lyman Wyeth, John Hoogenakker as Trip Wyeth, and Deanna Dunagan as Polly Wyeth in the Goodman Theatre's 2013 production in Chicago. Photo: Liz Lauren.
I’ll be honest, I spent years thinking that this was about the war in Afghanistan (and it does touch on it!), but this play was not at all what I thought it would be. That being said, it’s one of my favorites that I’ve read!!!
Summary: “Brooke Wyeth returns home to Palm Springs 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 family’s history—a wound they don’t want reopened. In effect, she draws a line in the sand and dares them all to cross it.” From Dramatists Play Service.
Laura’s thoughts in brief: As I’m WAY WAY behind with finishing my posts for July, I’m really trying to be brief now! Wow. This play blew me away - I love the unapologetic family messiness this play dives into, with no obvious “right” or “wrong.” Well, it seems like there may be a “right” - but without going into spoilers, there’s more than we can see. Did I like the characters in this play? Yes and no and … It’s complicated. Which I think makes great theatre. Strangely, I had moments of empathy for all of them, even the extremely Republican parents. And then I had moments of disgust with all of them. My favorite kind of play!!! This play is both funny and a bit horrifying - not in a Friday the 13th kind of way, but in the way of looking at the damage families do to each other, usually unintentionally. Also, the discovery of how the play got its name is very satisfying and also ironic. Baitz is clever! Tracy Arnold and Deanna Dunagan in the photo above starred in the Goodman production of this play, and I am SO SO sad I missed this. Tracy is an NIU MFA-Theatre grad, like myself and a GREAT actor, and anyone who saw Dunagan’s performance in August: Osage County (she won a Tony for it, plus a bunch of other awards) knows that she can act the hell out of these tough matriarchs. I can only imagine how awesome it was. Note to Laura, GO SEE MORE THEATRE IN CHICAGO!
READ MORE! Here’s what others had to say about productions:
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/14/theater/reviews/14other.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/04/theater/reviews/other-desert-cities-at-booth-theater-review.html
https://chicagoreader.com/arts-culture/a-writer-picks-at-the-family-scab-in-other-desert-cities/
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-other-desert-cities-review-20170727-story.html
https://www.washingtonian.com/2013/05/03/theater-review-other-desert-cities-at-arena-stage/