‘Other Desert Cities’ Broadway Review: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ed Harris and Allison Janney Lead a Resounding Family Drama
A Broadway revival of Jon Robin Baitz’s “Other Desert Cities” places a divided family’s secrets and political conflicts at the centre of a Christmas gathering in Palm Springs. The drama matters because it examines grief, depression, ideology and the lasting effects of silence, with a story the reviewer describes as especially timely.
The play is set in 2004, when writer Brooke Wyeth returns after years away and tells her Republican parents she plans to publish a memoir about her older brother Henry, who died by suicide after becoming involved in a cult bombing. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Ed Harris play her parents, with Lily Rabe, Joe Keery and Allison Janney completing the family ensemble. John Benjamin Hickey directs the revival, which the review praises for combining sharp humour with volatile, emotionally charged performances.
- A family’s Christmas gathering is upended by a planned memoir.
- The memoir revisits the death of Brooke’s brother and a hidden family history.
- The revival blends political conflict, humour and grief.