Reviewed by Joan Tupponce
Television shows from the fifties like “Father Knows Best” portrayed the all-American family. Sure there were the occasional tiffs and everyday issues but everyone in the family got along. It was obvious that there was plenty of love to go around. But what we think is obvious may only be an illusion. That’s the premise of Virginia Rep’s current production of Other Desert Cities.
The other desert city in this production is Palm Springs, California, where retired actor/politician and staunch Republican Lyman Wyeth lives with his wife Polly. Two of their children, Brooke, a writer living back East, and Trip, a reality television producer who shies away from confrontations, have come home for the holidays. Polly’s sister Silda, who is living with the family after time in rehab, is also on hand for the occasion.
The family is getting ready for a holiday dinner at the club when Brooke announces she has written a soon-to-be published book about her older brother, Henry, who committed suicide after an ill-fated event with a radical group. After her brother’s death, Brooke suffered from depression and was hospitalized. This is her first writing venture since that time.
Needless to say her ultra-conservative parents who were friends with Ron and Nancy as they refer to the former President and First Lady are livid she is about to expose the family’s secrets to the world. They have guarded Henry’s suicide for years, never talking about it or sharing their feelings with Brooke and Trip.
Brooke believes her parents didn’t do what they could have to prevent her brother’s death. What follows is an intense confrontation that exposes long-held secrets and eventually changes Brooke’s outlook.
The play could be mired down in heartache but playwright Jon Robin Baitz weaves in enough tongue-in-cheek humor to balance the intensity of the situation.
Each of the four actors on stage brings credibility to their respective roles. Mike Long’s easy-going performance sheds light on Trip’s need to avoid any type of weighty issue. Melissa Johnston Price’s performance gives Silda the perfect edginess.
Joe Inscoe, who plays Lyman, and Irene Ziegler, who steps into the role of Polly, are a perfect pair on stage. Inscoe’s honest portrayal showcases the struggle that Lyman has been facing all these years. Ziegler, a master on stage, sinks her teeth into her role as the strong-willed matriarch of the family.
Sandi Carroll is quite convincing as Brooke, a daughter who feels she must carry the banner for her dead brother even if it means losing her family.
One of the delightful highlights of this production is the set and the lighting thanks to lighting designer Lynne Hartman and set designer Ben Burke. Burke has designed a contemporary California-style home that would be the envy of any homeowner. The open, sleek style features a wall of ceiling-to-floor windows that overlook a pool and picturesque mountain scene. Hartman’s lighting gives the sense of time – moving from sunset to night – as well as the sense of motion – reflections of the water in the pool splash across the top of the home.
Other Desert Cities will keep your interest. The twist in this well-acted play will leave you wondering why you didn’t see it coming. Other Desert Cities runs through May 18 at the November Theatre.
