Mountain Community Theater in Ben Lomond presents the acclaimed play Other Desert Cities by Jon Robin Baitz, directed by Peter Gelblum on stage at Ben Lomond’s Park Hall.
The production opens at Ben Lomond’s historic Park Hall on Friday, Nov. 18, and continues on weekends through Sunday, Dec.11. There will also be a special Talk Back with the Cast and Director after the Sunday matinee on Dec. 4.
Other Desert Cities won the 2011 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best New Off-Broadway Play, was nominated for five 2012 Tony Awards, including Best Play, and was a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Baitz tells a smart, funny, and emotionally powerful story about a family confronting a tragic episode from their past. When daughter and author Brooke returns to her parents’ Palm Springs home for Christmas for the first time in six years, she brings along the memoir she is ready to publish about the long-ago and never-discussed suicide of her older brother.
Along with unexpected humor, the ensuing tumult raises profound questions about our obligations to our family and to the truth, and what happens when those obligations conflict.
The show is directed by MCT veteran Peter Gelblum. The cast includes both MCT favorites and actors joining the company for the first time: Hannah Eckstein, Ali Eppy, Tara McMilin, Nat Robinson, and Tom Weiner.
Friday and Saturday performances are at 8 p.m., Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. (no Sunday matinee on Nov. 20). General Admission tickets are $20. Students and seniors are $17.
There will be a champagne reception after the show on opening night.The performance on Friday, Nov. 25 is Community Night, with two tickets for $20.
The performance contains adult language and subject matter that may not be suitable for young children. Tickets are available at www.brownpapertickets.com.
Mountain Community Theater (MCT) is the longest-running community theater in Santa Cruz County, started in 1982 by a collective of actors. MCT is a member-run non-profit organization that relies on support from its performances and season subscribers.
