DETC Brings Two Humorous And Touching One Acts, GRACELAND And ASLEEP ON THE WIND, To Desert Audiences

Desert Ensemble Theatre Company's (DETC)'s Eighth Season continues from April 19-21 and 26-28, 2019 with Graceland and Asleep on the Wind, a charming pair of one-act plays by Ellen Byron. Humorous, lyrical and ultimately touching, these plays introduce three people who believe that Elvis could lift them up from the drudgery of their everyday lives.

In Graceland two ardent Presley fans, Bev and Rootie, are camped out before the gates on the day that Elvis' mansion is to be opened to the public, each determined to be the first to enter the sacred precincts. Asleep on the Wind takes place ten years prior in the Louisiana Bayou, where Rootie's older brother Beau is leaving the join the army and plants the seed for his sister's eventual pilgrimage to Graceland.

Desert Theatre League Award winner Rosemary Mallett directs. The cast includes five-time Desert Theatre League Award winning actress, singer and radio host Bonnie Gilgallon; Sean Timothy Brown, one of the Desert's most in-demand actors; and Maricela Sandoval, returning to DETC for the first time since her triumphant company debut in last season's Election Day.

Tony Padilla founded Desert Ensemble Theatre Company in 2011 and led the company through seven seasons of growth and increasing visibility. Since its inception, the company has been honored with 28 Desert Theatre League Awards and 20 Broadway World Awards (Palm Springs Region). The Desert Sun readers recognized DETC as "Best Repertory Company" in the 2018 "Best of the Valley" poll. Palm Springs Lifereaders also chose DETC as "Best Live Theater, Palm Springs" in the magazine's 2018 "Best of the Valley by City."

The company is now under the leadership of Artistic Director Jerome Elliott and Executive Director Shawn Abramowitz.

DETC performs at the Pearl McManus Theater in the Palm Springs Woman's Club, 314 S. Cahuilla Road. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased in advance through the company's website, www.detctheatre.org, or by calling (760) 565-2476.