BWW Previews: ELECTRICITY at Desert Rose Playhouse

When I learned that Terry Ray's play Electricity was making a curtain call this weekend at the Desert Rose Playhouse, I felt like a beloved friend was coming to town for a visit. Electricity played in Palm Springs for two years at a hotel, accommodating just 20 guests per performance in an actual hotel room. Most of 2021, it played every Tuesday at Oscar's. I reviewed it early in the year and then came back a month later. It was a "feel good" theatrical experience - the sort of show I would see every couple of months if it had an extended run. And its three years in Palm Springs were indeed in preparation for an extended run Off Broadway.

The show is in four scenes with one intermission. Following their tenth high school reunion, two men decide to save a bit of money and share a room. Gary (playwright Terry Man) was a nerd in school, and hasn't progressed much further in the ensuing decade. Brad (Mel England) was the class bad boy, and he seems to have gotten "badder" by the time we meet him. The nerd booked the room and swears he didn't realize it only had one bed. He also speaks at length about his wife back home, and how much he loves and misses her. Brad seems to have nothing to hide - in his history or his body.

The truth comes out in stages, and the men end the first scene together under the covers, as we guessed they would. However, the magic and depth of the play comes from the two men reuniting in the same room every ten years. We see how they have developed and observe the changes, both subtle and profound, they have made on each other's behavior. I loved watching how a mere observation or suggestion at one meeting grew into a major personality trait in the other man by the next time they met. Is the person that you can't get out of your head truly the person you're meant to be with? Can a mere word or sentence that you utter change another person's life significantly? This script, in the hands of two excellent actors, is impressive on many levels.

The set is simple: a motel room rated 2-stars at best. The costumes are nondescript street wear, but with accessories and some damned fine acting, the two men are able to morph from 28 to 38 to 48 to 58 at the ten-year spans since high school. The comedy/drama is directed by Steven Rosenbaum and produced by Michael Darner. It is headed for Off-Broadway this fall, so this is most likely the last chance we will have to enjoy this incredible play in our own backyard.

Electricity plays February 17 - 20 at the Desert Rose Playhouse, 611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs. Tickets and further information are available at www.DesertRosePlayhouse.org, or by phone at 760-202-3000. Proof of vaccination will be required at the door, and masks are required by the City of Palm Springs.

Keep your eyes peeled for Desert Rose's next production, The Drag, by Mae West. It will play February 23 - March 6. The play was banned from Broadway in 1928. Come and find out why for yourself with this rarely produced gem.