What is "Other Desert Cities" about?

Eva Gil: I think it touches on how we talk about and process our past and the narratives we tell ourselves. It touches on how family dynamics play into that narrative and the struggle between children and their parents carving out their own story lines. Ultimately, I think it is a story of love, growth and the power of truth. 

Justin D. Quackenbush: I'm still making new discoveries about the properties that make this piece fly. I could summarize the events of the play but it's the thematic subtext that is the most captivating - and that can only be truly appreciated by attending the show. There are choices, secrets, divergent memories, politics, polemics, confusion, compassion, Christmas and sarcasm. Leaving it at that is a bargain-basement inventory of the richness in Jon Robin Baitz's writing and Mark Alan's direction.

Do you have trouble keeping secrets?

Justin: One of my absolute favorite moments in theater is near the end of Gypsy when Louise says: "My mother, who got me into this business, always told me, 'Make them beg for more and then, don't give it to them!' But I'm not my mother" I do have secrets and I am good at keeping them. Nothing sordid or malicious but an artist must hold his cards close to his breast, that way when he plays the winning hand it's a surprise to the audience.

Eva: I am terrible with surprises that I am intending to keep secret: if I buy someone a gift I end up telling them I got them something and give it to them early because I can't stand the suspense. However, I'm good with a secret someone tells me! 

What character do you play?

Eva: I play Brooke, the daughter who has come home for Christmas and has news to share about her upcoming book. She is sarcastic, conflicted, smart, and probing. As the middle child I think she is constantly trying to find and reconfigure her role within the family dynamic, especially with the passage of time and the way events from their past alter the dynamic.

Justin: I play Trip Wyeth, the total L.A. boy, pioneer of burgeoning reality-TV, pop-culture virtuoso, and mildly bratty baby of the family. He is 150% invested in pursuing the picture perfect Christmas and when things go astray, he is the voice of reason in all his admittedly-flawed glory. He loves his family more than anything, but struggles with how far he'll descend into a lot of drama that he feels belongs in the past.

Can you relate to this family?

Justin: Absolutely - but that's really not so unique to me. "Other Desert Cities" has joined the ranks of many family dramas that define the American Theatre lexicon. There's a reason we will go see "August: Osage County," "The Glass Menagerie," or musicals like "Next To Normal" in any incarnation. We even gravitate towards British works like "The Homecoming." Putting the construct of the family - the more flawed the better in this case - under the microscope is something everyone can identify with. It's that thing that makes theatre magic: it presents the audience with a mirror and in the best cases - like with "Other Desert Cities" - it screams LOOK AT YOU!

Eva: I can relate to the way the siblings are shown to have very distinct roles in the family and how the relationships with their parents are unique to each child. I also love the way the siblings in this play are so frank with each other. I can relate to the camaraderie between the family members even when they don't agree on everything. 

What's your favorite line in the play?

Justin: There are many deliciously biting remarks made in this piece that are so satisfying to hear my cast-mates say as well as to deliver. Trip often drips with the type of sarcasm one employs when the truth is the heaviest and my ears perk up every time I hear Silda's remark: "Telling the truth is a very expensive hobby." I like that. People often cite: "The truth shall set you free," and I think a fitting addendum is: but the journey to freedom will be exhausting.

Eva: "Life is chemical. And a chemical reaction happens when two people get together..."

What's OTHER DESERT CITIES about?

It's a very funny but deeply wrenching play about a family being "outed" by one of its youngest members who is about to air their dirty laundry in a memoir which is soon to be published. It's Christmas time and the family has gathered to open presents and... read the as-yet-unpublished manuscript...

Do you have trouble keeping secrets?

I think I am a great secret keeper. But if the secret is a juicy one, I like to give a lot of hints.

What character do you play and how does she fit into the family?

I play Silda. She is -- or in actor talk -- I am the alcoholic, lefty sister of the much more straight-laced, Republican Polly. I'm kind of a sniper, firing witty acerbic missiles into the family ring and waiting for them to detonate.

What's your favorite line in the play?

"Honey, Newsflash: You're not a Texan, you're a Jew!"

or

"I smell pot... give it!"

Can you relate to the family dynamics in the play?

Yes, oh yes. And, yes. I think the reason the play is so powerful is that it hits upon themes, American themes, which we can all relate to. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to give away the plot (God forbid) but there is so much in this play that is both hilarious and tragic that I have actually experienced, that working on it has been slightly gut-wrenching. But it's also been fun as hell. ‘Cuz it's a very funny play. And the cast and Director are terrific!

What’s OTHER DESERT CITIES about? 
The play is about the consequences of keeping hard held secrets. Both to ones self and to ones family.

Do you have trouble keeping secrets?
I am actually pretty good at keeping secrets. So good in fact that it might not be a good idea to share in a blog. However I do find that when I do share a secret certain people have a hard time believing it.

How does your character fit into the family dynamic?
I play Lyman Wyeth the father of the family. He is a former movie actor who becomes a GOP chairman and ambassador under the Reagan administration. Within the family dynamic he is the peace maker. He is gentle yet firm in his approach.

What’s your favorite line in the play?
So many of Polly's (my wife in the play) lines. However, Silda has a line that ends act 1. "God, I love that vapor, I could just live in that scent, I'd be happy. I 'd never need a drink again,I'd just breathe it in." It sets the tone for whats to come.

Can you relate to the family dynamics in the play?
The play rings true on so many levels about the universal dynamics of a nuclear family trying to maintain its dignity and its priceless worth. There is an incredible personal price one pays for keeping secrets. I can very much relate to that.

What's OTHER DESERT CITIES about?

This is a play about "divergent truths" (that's from the play).  About how our perceptions of reality diverge according to when, where and with whom we exist in the world.  "Truth" is generational, it's cultural and it's personal.  And, of course, with divergent truth comes conflict!  That's where the play begins.

Do you have trouble keeping secrets?  

Ha!  That depends.  I'm very good at keeping secrets that I know are supposed to be kept.  In other words, if you tell me something you don't want me to tell anyone else, you'd better tell me that too.

I like to think I'm one of Malcolm Gladwell's "connectors" (from The Tipping Point), and that when I share information, it's just my effort to encourage connections between folks who might not otherwise find commonalities.  Here's where "divergent truths" come into play.  Some people see it as telling tales out of school.  Go figure.

What character do you play and how does she fit into the story? 

I play Polly.  She's the mom.  Or, more precisely, the Matriarch.  Polly is smart, strong, and in control--she's had to be--but she sometimes forgets to be kind.  That's an understatement.  'Nuff said.

What's your favorite line in the play?

This is a well written play, and there are many great lines, but I don't think I've identified a favorite.  I love a lot of what Trip says.  He's the son, the youngest child (which I am too, by the way) and the truth teller.  He kind of nails everybody.

Ok, here's a good one, in response to his sister suggesting he just doesn't understand her depression:

"How do you know what I have and don't have?...  You have your head so far up your own butt, you wouldn't notice if I were covered in killer ants and being stung to death right in front of you."  It sounds harsh, but it's said with love, believe it or not.  That's Trip, he loves everybody, warts and all.

Can you relate to the family dynamics in the play? 

I am blessed with a very loving, well functioning family, with mostly shared political and social views.  Lucky me.  That said, I can certainly identify with generational differences.  Even though I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum, politically, Polly's ideas about happiness are spot on.  Polly and Lyman are from the generation whose happiness is a product of health, productivity and self-sufficiency.  She has no patience for what she sees as a generation of children who want to place responsibility and blame externally, often on parents.  I have to admit, I also have no patience for adults who can't get beyond blaming their parents.  Psychoanalyze, fine, but then move on.  That's the Polly in me.

What's OTHER DESERT CITIES about?

Having just come off the holidays, I am sure that folks sat around and listened to family stories, and family myths. But the stories are vastly different based on who possesses the narrative. The Wyeth Family in ODC have a recognizable gathering, but the story is far harsher than most families and the play is about the right to possess the narrative. But because this is written by Jon Robin Baitz, and not Eugene O'Neill, you can bet that it is a battle of wits, not blood.

Do you have trouble keeping secrets?

Don't ever tell me you are pregnant and want me to keep it a secret - especially if you are a close friend. Also, I am the worst at keeping secret "new job" opportunities.

What is the most challenging aspect about directing this play?

It is rare that you have a play with so many characters that you have to shuffle around the stage. It is a large cast and requires me to brush up on my physics and spatial awareness.

What's your favorite line in the play?

"What happened to [my brother] will have to be seen. Everything. Everything in life is about to be seen, or not seen, and eventually, everything IS seen."

Can you relate to the family dynamics in this play?

Relationships that are complicated are fraught with miscommunication. Being a human being in 2014... I do not think there is an aspect of this play that doesn't remind me of my past and my relationships to my blood family and the family I have chosen.