Patch Entertainmnet Event: Other Desert Cities- A Piercing Play Meriting Jon Baitz -Pulitzer Prize-Final & STAR Kudos for ICT Director & Cast

Theatre Review:   Patch EVENTS ... Worthy of Consideration & In-Reach

Other Desert Cities- A Piercing Play Meriting Jon Baitz -Pulitzer Prize-Final & STAR Kudos for ICT Director & Cast

Reviewed By: Joseph Sirota, Reviewer (Joe At The Show 4U)

What a timely daring/diverse play selection by ICT as it nears its 30th Anniversary. Other Desert Cities is A Piercing Play Meriting Jon Robin Baitz a Pulitzer Prize-Final & Outer Critics Circle Award.  Also worthy of Kudos for wise, incisive direction is ICT leader, (caryn desai), plus a 1,000 Volt, power-packed Cast. The play itself deeply presents us with moment after moment of insightfulness on the deep-inner-differences of each family member we meet in a handsome Palm Springs home. Changed "Life-Values" & "Styles Speaking", crushed what was past Family Love. This itself, can carry the play's tale plentifully striking out into the fiery impact of pain due to today's world of disagreements. The people we see are amazingly not only a view into a "family", but a quite realistic of our Earth's 21st Century. Vividly, daily bitter servings of "politics", "economics", "religions", "generations", "countries" (& sadly, a plethora of far more "Human-Disagreements"), are like the warlike medals which we earned over these first 21st Century years in which anger and disappointment have pushed aside the love and warmth we humans might well have blossomed and shared together, rather than separate us. We learn there have been past loses despite what seems like a wealthy living standard, with many friends & outlandish enjoyments to choose.

Don't think the play, or this family, is only negative. It is very touching, and warm memories paint fields of past admiring and loving each other. It's just focused more sharply & fiercely of more intense floating views of damages & each reaching out for what means most to their dreams, & planting angry seeds at other family members' far differently paths taken. Oh, if togetherness just  had felt more than each individual's personal "paths" & "wants". But this is a family of very SMART and HANDSOME and CREATIVE & FIRM members we meet ... and such powerful gifts each carried, wants to follow their selected path, & as they care about you as a "member" of the "clan" ... Well, let's just say, they want you to follow the best Goals & reach for the same "Golden-Rings" that they decided for themselves. I won't say more about how or why, love, caring or other humanity aspects may also reach out in broader shades. Suffering, sadness & anger seem above all?, Some of us may find hope, not only in the tough play's tale of a damaged family, we're pulled into, but perhaps hope also makes us examine our own tough World paths, too! It's up to you. Come & see! Can good hopes disarm anger? Hmm...Maybe!

The People that made This Interesting ICT live production currently Offering:

Jon Robin Baitz: (Writer): Strong Playwright, toughly brings Humanity-Characters & their worlds he captures us Deep(TV & Film too).

caryn desai: (Director): As well as the ITC, Long Beach City's International City Theatre's Artistic Director/Producer, caryn is particularly an outstanding guide in the ability to find inner psychology & strengths. She offers tenderness, wounds, fears & anger too(A great-"fit"!)

The Find CAST:   Ann Noble (Daughter): This is a rough Key-role, very well done. Not only are there very wide ranges of changes to win family members(& we the audience).. & the writer's said she's very smart, but somewhat med/depressed. T'ain't easy to do both.

Suzanne Ford (Mother): This is an impossible character to live with-as Mom! But Mama S.Ford is so fabulous, I'd let her adopt me!!!

Nicholas Hormann (Father): Heck of Good Guy-Success/Showman/Politician/Family member-Amazingly Warm & Likable- I Believe!

Eileen T'Kaye (Aunt): T'K is a Killer, I've Yay'd before & hope to see in more shows. But Baitzs Ingrate+++ Heart? GetOutaMyHome!  

Blake Anthony Edwards (Brother): Blake-not?Actors Equity YET -But he was an absolute Life-raft & Most "Real" Baitz Character

Production Backstage ICT Team:  Set Design-(JR Bruce); Costuming-(Kim DeShazo); Lighting Design-(Debra Garcia Lockwood); Sound Design-(Dave Mickey); Casting-(Michael Donovan);    Stage Manager-(Henry Fernandez)

---Other Desert Cities... is "captivating" theatre lovers at ICT International City Theatre 300 E. Ocean Blvd. Long Beach CA. Sched: Thurs-thru-Sat @ 8 PM & Sun Matinees @ 2:PM: Closes-June 29. Tickets: $42-47. (Students/ Seniors/ Teachers/ Groups for--Discounts). Call: (562) 436-4610.   Online: www.InternationalCityTheatre.com