LEARNING HOW TO SURVIVE IN THE DESERT
Jon Robin Baitz‘s Other Desert Cities—which opened at Cygnet Theatre last weekend—portrays about 24 hours in the upscale home of the Wyeth home in Palm Springs, California, and it’s an emotional stunner. Baitz sets his play over a 24-hour period in 2004. All the action takes place in the upscale posh home of Polly and Lyman Wyeth, conservative Republicans. The other characters are adult offspring Brooke and Trip, plus Polly’s sister Silda, a recovering alcoholic and liberal who lives with Polly and Lyman. Polly and Silda on the surface don’t like each other very much, partly because of their differing political views. Henry, a third offspring, plays a pivotal role though he never appears on stage.
Trip Wyeth (Geoffrey Ulysses Geissinger)
Brooke is visiting her family after living in New York City for six years, working as a magazine writer. She has gone through some tough times psychologically and has returned to her parental home, bringing a manuscript that she plans to publish. At first Brooke claims it is a novel but then admits it is a highly personal family memoir that contains explosive and damaging family history. Her parents are horrified, accusing Brooke of betrayal, and the dialogue descends into verbal fury in exchanges that are shocking in their intensity.
Brooke Wyeth (Melanie Lora) and Silda Grauman (Debra Wanger)
Baitz has set a very high bar in his play’s emotional demands, but the Cygnet cast of Rosina Reynolds (Polly), Melanie Lora (Brooke), Alan Rust (Lyman), Geoffrey Ulysses Geissinger (Trip), and Debra Wanger (Silda) are well up to the challenge. They made the stage tremble with their characters’ unleashed flood of bitterness, recriminations, accusations, outrage and resentment.
Lyman Wyeth (Alan Rust) and Polly Wyeth (Rosina Reynolds)
Sean Murray‘s direction skillfully sustains the human touch. Under his guidance, the actors come across as authentic and even sympathetic amidst all the sound and fury. And Andrew Hull has designed a comfortably moneyed interior to enclose so many hard feelings.
Other Desert Cities is a deeply engaging exploration of family, secrets, and the weight of history. Its sharp writing, layered performances, and tense atmosphere make it a play that resonates long after the curtain falls. It’s a poignant reminder of how the past shapes our present—and how we must reckon with it, no matter how difficult.
Rosina Reynolds, Alan Rust, Geoffrey Ulysses Geissinger, Melanie Lora, Debra Wanger
photos by Karli Cadel
Other Desert Cities
Cygnet Theatre Company
Old Town Theater, 4040 Twiggs St.
2 hours with one intermission
Wed-Sat at 7; Sat & Sun at 2
Feb 5 – Mar 2, 2025
for tickets (starting at $34), call 619.337.1525 or visit Cygnet
