AN ARRESTING START
TO THE SEASON

An intimate staging and several
compelling performances give this
familiar prison drama new life

Desert Theatreworks kicks off its 2026–27 season with The Shawshank Redemption, adapted from Stephen King’s novella by Dave Johns and Owen O’Neill. With a dozen men on DTW’s smallest stage, the production, directed by Lance Phillips feels surprisingly epic and makes for a strong start to the season.

The story is familiar, but it develops a new dimension when presented up close and live. The prisoners know that hope can be a dangerous thing and can drive a man insane. But here, hope lands a man outside the walls of Shawshank State Penitentiary.

The first character we meet introduces himself as Red (Jarrol Taylor Jr.). He is the narrator and the prisoner who can supply the inmates with virtually anything, from Belgian chocolates to girlie magazines. Taylor does the heavy lifting of both roles with apparent ease.

Soon, a new inmate named Andy Dufresne (Andrew Weiss) is brought into the prison. He’s a lot more educated than the other prisoners but manages to hold his own through brains rather than muscle. Dufresne is a difficult role because, although he is the protagonist, he is more subdued than the other inmates. Weiss chooses his moments to display the character’s steel core, though he sometimes gets lost in the crowded prison because the character is so nonassertive.

DTW veteran Ron Young delivers a truly frightening Warden Stammas. Rather than portraying him as a traditional bully, Young is soft-spoken and fond of quoting the Bible. When he delivers orders such as sending Dufresne to solitary confinement, his tone sounds as casual as if he were selecting a sandwich from a menu. The effect makes the character all the more terrifying, and Young seemed quite delighted to be heartily booed during his curtain call.

Shel Shafir as Brooksie is probably the most experienced actor in the cast, and it was a bit of a surprise to see him in the relatively small role of the older prisoner who runs the library. However, when his time for parole comes around, Brooksie is terrified that the board might actually grant it. Shafir’s handling of the terror of having to live his few remaining years in a world he knows nothing about is riveting, bringing empathetic tears to the eyes.

One of the guards, Hadley (John Hadley), is strong but also nuanced. The actor’s experience gives him a commanding stage presence as the lead guard. Then he has Dufresne help him fudge his taxes, adding another layer to the character. The funniest moment of the evening comes when he walks across the stage checking the cells while whistling “The Jet Song” from West Side Story. Somehow, a prison guard casually whistling musical theater provides exactly the comic relief the moment needs.

Maddox Phillips, son of DTW CEO and Artistic Director Lance Phillips, has hundreds of hours of technical-theater experience, but his portrayal of Tommy, a kid tossed into the mix in the second act, marks a strong debut as an actor.

There are nine prisoners, and the actors present clear and distinct personalities, though it sometimes takes a bit of effort to determine which story thread we are following at any given moment. The other guard is played by Aaron Hadley, and the other prisoners are Stephen Blackwell, Frank Caatalie, Kevin Mann, Eric “Milo” Milosevich, and D. Wesley Spencer.

The sparse unit set, effectively designed by Maddox Phillips, features a couple of stone monoliths, platforms at various levels, and an upstairs cell. The prisoners move tables and boxes around the set to create the various locations within Shawshank Prison. Costumes are assembled by Paula Bailey. Jason Lambert’s ambitious lighting design employs “smart lights” that pan across the stage to land on individual actors’ faces. They sometimes miss their targets, although the more experienced actors know how to find their light. Lance Phillips’ sound design, operated by Austin Spencer-Treinen, keeps us firmly inside the prison with loud buzzers, clanking cell doors, and other institutional sounds.

What makes this Shawshank Redemption particularly effective is the production’s intimacy. In a 127-seat black box, there is little distance between us and the prisoners, and the confines of the small playing area become an asset rather than a limitation. It may be a familiar story, but Desert Theatreworks finds something immediate and affecting in telling it live and up close.

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photos courtesy of Desert Theatreworks

The Shawshank Redemption
Desert Theatreworks
Indio Performing Arts Center, 45175 Fargo St. in Indio
2 hours and 45 minutes, including intermission
Thu–Fri at 7:30; Sat at 2 & 7:30; Sun at 2
ends on October 4, 2026
recommended for ages 16+
for tickets ($42), call 760.980.1455 or visit DTworks

next up: George Washington’s Teeth, October 16–25, 2026

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