Bruce Bonafede's ELLIE Opens at Desert Ensemble Theatre in March

Desert Ensemble Theater (DET), in residence at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, will present the world premiere production of ELLIE by Palm Springs playwright Bruce Bonafede, March 8–10 and 15–17, 2024: A play about crime, punishment, and how men kill the thing they love.

ELLIE centers on two older men—brothers—who are grieving the death of one of their wives. Their mourning sparks a confrontation that lays bare their life-long love/hate relationship and leads to shocking actions that change their lives forever.

Performances are part of DET’s 13th Season “Off-Center at the Cultural Center.” Curtain times are 7:30 pm Friday, 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm Saturday, and 2:00 pm Sunday. Tickets are $37.50 and are available at www.desertensembletheatre.org. For more information, call (760) 565-2476.

DET Artistic Director Jerome Elliott Moskowitz said: “ELLIE is our thirteenth world premiere since the company’s inception in 2011. As a community-based theatre, we are thrilled to bring another Desert-based playwright to the attention of our audience. Bruce Bonafede’s illustrious career spans more than 40 years, including a 1985 win of the Heideman Award for best one-act play at The Actors Theatre of Louisville Humana Festival for New American Plays. Audiences are in for a suspenseful journey as they experience the many twists and turns of his latest work.”

Veteran actor, director and playwright Howard Shangraw makes his DET directing debut with ELLIE. He stated: “I am excited to direct Bruce Bonafede’s gripping new play for Desert Ensemble Theater. Bringing this savagely intimate pas de deux between two siblings is a thrilling adventure for me.”

Two of the Desert’s favorite actors assume the roles of dueling brothers Richard and Warren. Richard Marlow last season appeared as Agent O’Hara in DET’s critically-acclaimed premiere of Do Not Remove Label and is well known to audiences of Desert Theatreworks, Desert Rose Playhouse and the Palm Canyon Theatre. Abe Daniels, making his Palm Springs acting debut in the role of Warren, was a fixture at the iconic Groves Canyon Theatre in Morongo Theatre for more than a decade.