— by Michèle Griskey —
The Actors Theater of Orcas Island production “Other Desert Cities” by Jon Robin Baitz opens on Christmas Eve 2004 in the posh living room of the Wyeth family in Palm Springs, California.
On the surface, things look pretty typical for the wealthy Southern California family. Playful quips reveal the underlying political tension between the Republican parents and the liberal grown children, but there’s something bigger brewing as well. Brooke Wyeth, a writer, has been away for six years. She’s now returned to her parent’s home, and after a bout with severe depression, she found her writing voice again with her second novel, except it isn’t a novel. She’s written a memoir about the suicide of her older brother which happened thirty years before.
This means the steadfast appearances of the Wyeth family will disappear when their painful and ugly past will be exposed to the world. On this otherwise uneventful Christmas Eve, fear takes hold and the unravelling begins.
Brooke Wyeth, played by Katie Zwilling, is a complex character, both stubborn and uncertain, strong and fragile. She’s constantly convincing her family she’s okay, but she’s nervous and quick to argue. Zwilling’s performance is beautiful in that she’s not afraid to reveal Brooke’s vulnerability. We see, clearly, she has demons in her soul. Her memoir is the means of making amends and finding her way after years of grieving over her beloved older brother.
Brooke’s desire for freedom is not received enthusiastically by her parents. Polly Wyeth, played by Melinda Milligan, is, on the surface, a protégé of Nancy Reagan. She loves everything about keeping up appearances. She’s steadfast and stubborn. Milligan’s Polly is masterful. She has the power to antagonize others with her jabs, but she’s also clear that she’s worked hard at keeping the fabric of the family together.
Lyman Wyeth, Brooke’s father, is a former movie actor and United States ambassador for Ronald Reagan. At first he doesn’t want to deal with the past, but as things grow increasingly tense, he has no choice but to come to terms with events he’d rather forget. Tom Fiscus finds Lyman’s role where anger and love meet.
Trip Wyeth, the easygoing youngest brother attempts to make peace. Indy Zoeller does a great job seeing the inner complexities of a character who, at first, seems pretty straightforward, yet as time goes on, Trip reveals his vulnerabilities as he tries to make amends between the growing emotional separation between his parents and sister.
Things are further complicated by Silda Grauman, Polly Wyeth’s recovering alcoholic sister, who now lives with the Wyeth family and has her own stakes in the memoir. Suzanne Gropper uses frenetic energy playing this dysfunctional character who nails some potent universal ideas about fear and standing up for what we believe in.
As the façade collapses and the truth about the past is revealed, the characters must make discoveries about who they are in the greater dynamic of the family.
These talented actors have clearly dug in deep to consider their characters and their relationships. There are no weak performances; every scene is riveting and emotional. Lin McNulty, the director, did an excellent job in creating this honest and believable family. She coached her crew to find their own desert cities within.
Applause as well for all the details that went into this play, from the perfect Palm Springs living room to the music. Everything works.
“Other Desert Cities: is a worthwhile study of the subtleties and layers of family dynamics. Despite everything painful and wrong, in the end, there is love.
Remaining performances of “Other Desert Cities” are on November 12-13 & 18-20 at 7:30 p.m. at The Grange. Tickets are $10 and available from Darvill’s, brownpapertickets.com, and at the door. This play may not be suitable for children due to language and content.
Don’t miss this great performance!
