Desert Ensemble Theatre's New Play EXPRESSIONS Explores PTSD

Tickets are now on sale for Desert Ensemble Theatre's world premiere production of Expressions, written and directed by Shawn Abramowitz. This compelling drama is about PTSD and its cascading effect on both veterans and their families.

The play runs two weekends, February 3-5 and Feb. 10-12, at the Pearl McManus Theater in the Palm Springs Woman's Club, 314 S. Cahuilla Road. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased in advance through the company's website, www.detctheatre.org.

Expressions is set in a small town, just prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. As the country prepares for war, 18-year-old cousins Joseph and Paul, for different reasons, decide to enlist immediately after their high school graduation. This choice brings to the surface long-hidden conflict and trauma for their Vietnam veteran fathers, brothers Karl and Steven. As old wounds, fears and grievances dominate the family, a tragedy occurs and it is left to family matriarch Emily to broker peace and to seek outside help to heal her family.

Abramowitz, a Desert Theatre League Award-winning actor and director, developed the full-length version of Expressions from a short one-act that he wrote while a student at California State University-San Bernardino in 2007. He was motivated to expand the scope of the play when: "I was a student in the Leadership Coachella Valley program, a non-profit started by the local Chambers of Commerce, and a reoccurring issue that I noticed was the homeless population and who comprised part of that group. Homeless Veterans kept coming up and a lot of the issues these Vets had was PTSD, and how the VA hasn't taken care of them. My hopes are that by expanding the show Expressions, I might shed more light on the epidemic we face as a nation and as a people with the effects of PTSD."

The cast includes James Evan Anderson III as Steven, Fergus Loughnane as Karl, Kelley Moody as Emily, Nick Wass as Joseph, and Cameron Keys as Paul.

DETC's season continues from March 17-19 & 24-26 with Lovesport, a fast-paced comedy by award winning playwright and DETC Producing Artistic Director Tony Padilla. The final production of the year is Edward Albee's Marriage Play, directed by Keith Coleman, April 21-23 & 28-30. DETC was honored to receive 11 Desert Star Awards for its 2015-16 Season.

WHAT: Desert Ensemble Theatre presents Expressions by Shawn Abramowitz

WHERE: Pearl McManus Theatre, 314 S. Cahuilla Rd., Palm Springs

WHEN: Friday-Sunday Feb. 3-5 and 10-12; 7pm Friday and Saturday, 2pm Sunday

TICKETS: $20. Visit www.detctheatre.org