|
Regional Reviews: Phoenix Other Desert Cities
Also see Gil's review of The Whale
Brooke, once a promising novelist, has come to her parents' Palm Springs home, after a six year absence, for Christmas with news about her new book which is set to be published very soon. Her wealthy mother Polly and father Lyman, a retired Hollywood screenwriter and a former actor who were once close to the Reagans, are overjoyed with this news, as Brooke has struggled with mental health issues over a number of years. Those issues, which got in the way of her writing a follow up to her first novel, included hospitalization for a bout of depression stemming from the death of her older brother Henry thirty years previous. However, once the family learns that the new book isn't a novel but a memoir about them and the suicide, they aren't so thrilled. The son was involved with a radical group whose activities included a deadly bombing of an Army induction center. Brooke's memories of the tragic event are very different from her parents and she blames them for Henry's death. It is an impasse that none of them can get past, or can they? Other Desert Cities is a play centered on the discomfort that families go through—from the anxiety that Polly and Lyman experience in having to cope with the death of their son and defending his involvement in the horrific event, to the uneasiness of parents, children and siblings who don't always see eye to eye. Baitz walks the fine line between comedy and drama, with plenty of comical and emotional barbs, and every character intelligent and quick-witted. He shows how people use humor to deflect or hide their pain and uneasiness, and balances that with several dramatic moments that illustrate the lengths that parents will go to protect their children. The Arizona Theatre Company production stars Anne Allgood and Lawrence Pressman as Brooke's parents, and Paige Lindsey White and Will Mobley as Brooke and her younger brother Trip. Polly's alcoholic sister Silda, who is integral to the action, is played by Robin Moseley. All five members of the cast are giving very strong performances. Having seen Channing, Keach, Griffiths and Light on Broadway, it is nice to see actors portraying these parts that aren't immediately recognizable or well-known from something else. While this is an ensemble piece, it really focuses on the struggle between mother and daughter. Allgood and White are quite good and, with just one small exception from White, are both giving knock out performances. Silda says that Polly is "not an easy person" and we are told that she likes to "spur"; Allgood perfectly delivers a three-dimensional character who can be loving, but with an edge of coldness and the readiness to lash out in defense that is always brewing underneath. Polly says that Nancy Reagan told her to learn to "control the situation," and Allgood does an excellent job in showing how she and Lyman have tried to control everything in their entire lives. They want everyone to think their family is perfect, and Allgood expertly shows how Polly will do anything necessary to keep that image intact. It is a multi-faceted character with the revelations in the plot adding even more layers and shading to the role, and Allgood manages to maneuver effectively, gracefully and fiercely, like a lioness protecting her family, across all of the layers. The role of Brooke isn't an easy one to play as she is always on the edge and ready to break. White is even mannered yet appropriately nervous as Brooke, anticipating what Polly and Lyman's reaction will be once they know the topic of the book. White easily portrays the woman who was lost but, with the catharsis of writing the book, now believes she is on the right road. Brooke's verbal spats with her parents and Trip are realistically delivered and White does an excellent job in showing us how the death of Henry was the catalyst for all of the problems Brooke has had, allowing us to understand and empathize with her. My only quibble is that, once the big secret is revealed, White should have more of an emotional and explosive reaction. I'm not sure if this was a directorial choice or was White's but it makes the reveal less heartbreaking. Fortunately for the final scene, which is extremely important to understanding what happened to Brooke and her relationship with her family, White superbly conveys everything we need to know about how Brooke has ended up, with the perfect delivery of just a few sentences of dialogue and a few short, but very important, glances. Lyman, who was known for his death scenes in his films before he "sold out" and became the state GOP chair, is charming and sympathetic, the most sympathetic character in the family. Lawrence Pressman does a wonderful job in portraying a man who tries desperately to hold his family together. The way Pressman handles the revelation, and shows Lyman's pain in hiding it for so long, makes the performance deep and layered. Pressman and Allgood are very natural as a couple, especially through the use of simple looks, gestures and touch between them, showing the trust and support Polly and Lyman have for each other. You also get a true sense of how much they both worry about Brooke as well as how much Polly worries about her sister. Robin Moseley is warm and funny as Silda, which makes the character very likable, but she also shows how Silda can be just as biting as Polly; after all, Silda and Polly have been through a lot together, so it would only seem natural that they are somewhat alike. While Allgood and Moseley don't necessarily look like sisters, the way they similarly tackle Baitz's biting dialogue makes us believe they are siblings. Moseley nicely shows Silda's addictive side, but also lets us see that she, unlike Polly, knows when to back down. The character of Trip can be used for humorous purposes, but I like how Will Mobley makes him less whiny and needy than he was portrayed on Broadway. In doing so, Tripp is more realistic and and more of a natural confident to Brooke. But Trip also sometimes doesn't side with his sister, which adds a nice dynamic and realistic aspect to their relationship. Mobley also adds a huge amount of sympathy to Trip, which nicely echoes the similar way that Lyman treats his family. Director James Still has effectively staged the play, allowing the action to unfold in a disciplined fashion, though it seems the pacing of the crucial scene in act two is a bit sluggish. Fortunately, his pacing and direction of the many explosive arguments and the delivery of the more pungent lines is superb. He has wisely staged much of the action toward the front of the stage, to better allow us to more emotionally connect with the characters by seeing their facial reactions. He still effectively uses the back area as well, as Silda often sits in the background with her back to the conversation, but always hearing what is going on. The set design by Ann Sheffield is exquisite. It perfectly displays a lifelike and expensive Palm Springs house with large glass window walls, lots of stone and wood, and a small pool toward the front of the stage. The realistic lighting design by Jesse Klug creates lovely stage pictures, from a hot and bright Palm Springs morning to the glow of dusk off the mountains in the background. Costume designs by Kish Finnegan are impeccably character based, from smart and expensive looking tennis clothes, dresses and suits for Polly and Lyman to "knock off" wear for Silda. Other Desert Cities might come across a little too melodramatic or resembling a TV movie of the week, and Baitz spent some time writing for TV, including "Brothers and Sisters", where Griffiths played a regular. But I think the play is on par with another recent family drama, August: Osage County, which was even more melodramatic and soap opera like. So, I had no problem taking the dysfunctional family journey that Baitz has written, and I actually enjoyed it more seeing it a second time, with this very capable cast and production, even though I knew what twists and surprises were in store. The production at Arizona Theatre Company is on par with what was on Broadway two seasons ago, with a skilled and proficient cast, effective direction, and impressive creative elements Other Desert Cities at Arizona Theatre Company runs through March 2nd at the Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe Street. Tickets can be purchased at www.arizonatheatre.org or by calling (602) 256 —6995. This production then moves to the Indiana Repertory Theatre with performances March 12- April 5th (http://www.irtlive.com/) Playwright: Jon Robin Baitz Cast:
|
