BWW Review: OTHER DESERT CITIES Showcases Trio of Actresses

Scott Edmiston directs this New England premiere production that is blessed with a cast of the highest order and he makes the most of their talentS. MacDonald showcases an array of Charles Schoonmaker's costume designs while chewing the scenery and garnering sympathy even when Polly is at her most vicious. She makes us want to understand where she's coming from. Few can compete with Carroll's ability to deliver caustic or comic remarks with an immovable deadpan expression. Silda doesn't have a lot of lines, but Carroll speaks volumes with her tone and her rhythm, nailing every sarcastic laugh line and mustering steely resolve when she has to stand up to Polly.

We have come to expect courageous performances from Gottlieb (n.b. her 2011 IRNE and Elliot Norton Awards for Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune at New Repertory Theatre) and she continues in that vein as Brooke. This is a woman who is fighting for her sanity and her life, and doing so by going to war against her parents, as Henry had done so many years ago. At the same time, she is at war with herself because she desperately seeks their approval. When the battle reaches a fever pitch, Gottlieb is raw and primal as she conveys how broken and devastated Brooke is in that moment.

In order to be noticed in the wake of this trio of extraordinary actresses, Hicks and Smith have to be startlingly good. Lyman and Trip seem to know in their bones that they are meant to hover in the background behind these outspoken women. They choose their battles, but they do not surrender entirely. Hicks is totally credible as an old-school Republican, conservative but not fanatical. Lyman loves and worries about Brooke, and loves his wife and their life in the desert, but there is a tug of war going on that plays across Hicks' face until he can't take it anymore. After he erupts, he has the physical appearance of a balloon that has expelled its air. Trip is sort of the forgotten star in the family constellation, so Smith is casual and relaxed, often underplaying the role of slacker. He blends well with everyone, not having any big scenes, until the beginning of the second act. Brooke's hard sell attempt to enlist Trip as her confederate pushes him to reveal some intimate details of his life, to make her see him for who he is, and Smith digs deep to mine these feelings.

The merits of the story and the validity of Brooke's personal interpretation notwithstanding, the focal question is whether or not we own our own story and have the right to tell it publicly, even as others are implicated in the telling. Each member of the family has his or her viewpoint and Baitz gives equal weight to them all. You may find yourself vacillating, as I did, in trying to decide which side you're on. It might come down to which of the characters resonates with you, or which of the actors you favor, or maybe you can't ignore the gray areas that cloud the choices about whether (and when) or not to publish the book. Baitz takes care to point out that we don't always know all of the facts and, regardless of our choices, there are consequences.

Other Desert Cities had its world premiere at Lincoln Center in December, 2010, and ran through the end of February, 2011, as scheduled. It was named Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play by the Outer Critics Circle. It re-opened in October of that year at the Booth Theater on Broadway where it received five 2012 Tony nominations, including Best Play (Judith Light won for Best Featured Actress in a Play as Silda). ODC was also a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The SpeakEasy Stage production builds on that pedigree, but also puts its own identifying stamp on the play, thanks to the quality work by Edmiston, the team of designers, and the stellar ensemble.

Photo credit: Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo (Christopher M. Smith, Karen MacDonald, Munson Hicks, Anne Gottlieb)

From producing and starring in family holiday pageants as a child, to avid member of Broadway Across America and Show of the Month Club, Nancy has cultivated her love of the art and respect for the craft of theatre. She fulfilled a dream when she became an adult-onset tap dancer in the early 90's ("Gotta dance!"); she fulfills another by providing reviews for BroadwayWorld.com and evolving as a freelance writer. Nancy is an alumna of Syracuse University and a retired Probation Officer-in-Charge in the Massachusetts Trial Court system.

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