BWW Reviews: Vicious Beauty in ACT's OTHER DESERT CITIES

It's a fine line between a biting familial dramedy and diving head first into the realm of back biting reality TV. One lends itself to insightful views on the nature of parent/child dynamics and the other has an overweight little girl spewing forth "Oh no she di'in't" like a circus act to make the viewers feel better and superior about themselves. Luckily Jon Robin Baitz searing play "Other Desert Cities", currently playing at ACT, falls into the category of the former. Yes, the family can get pretty vicious at times but you can also see the heart and compassion through the barbs bringing out the power of the piece.

It's Christmas Eve, 2004, at the Wyeth house in Palm Springs and Brooke Wyeth (Marya Sea Kaminski) has arrived home with a bombshell to drop on her somewhat uptight family. She's written a memoir detailing a tragic point of the lives of the family that could threaten the reputation of her parents, Lyman and Polly (Kevin Tighe and Pamela Reed) and destroy any kind of family cohesion they may still have. Brooke's wisecracking brother, Trip (Aaron Blakely) does his best to diffuse the situation but it may be too much to handle especially with Polly's acerbic sister, Silda (Lori Larsen) throwing in her two cents about whether or not the truth should come out. But even as the book exposes what is known, what isn't known threatens to be revealed which could ultimately destroy every member of this family.

Yes, the play is a funny one but as soon as it has you laughing it sucker punches you with the drama and leaves you reeling. And that's why it works. Baitz has crafted a stunningly rich tableau of a broken family that doesn't know it's broken. And complete with a gorgeous set from Robert Dahlstrom, director Victor Pappas has assembled killer cast and crew who all manage to convey this story with a grounded honesty.

This tight ensemble is nothing short of sublime. Blakely probably has the smallest role in the show but still infuses it with humor and drive. Larsen's comedic chops seem to know no bounds as she continually slides the knife in without anyone noticing. Tighe turns in a beautiful portrayal of a potentially frail yet still in control man trying to hold together the two very strong women in his life. But it's these two women who make the show what it is. Kaminski keeps showing herself around town as a force to be reckoned with and this is no exception. She stands toe to toe with Reed in every moment (no small feat) and gives a powerful and engaging portrayal of a woman who doesn't see eye to eye with her parents but still has the need to honor them.

And Reed. Well, let me just say I have had a talent crush on Pamela Reed since I saw her walk off with every scene in "Kindergarten Cop". Even in the light Schwarzenegger comedy she managed to shine making me long for more from her in the future. And while we did get a few other small roles she went on to do things that I couldn't always see, like theater not in Seattle. Let's hope she chooses to come home more as we can use much more of what she has to offer. Her stirring portrayal of this subtle pit-bull of a mother was complexly riveting and showed off what a superb talent she is.

The show is an absolute winner. You'll laugh, you'll cry and you'll spend an evening with some of the most talented performers in town weaving together a gripping and heart wrenching tale that should not be missed.

"Other Desert Cities" performs at ACT through June 30th. For tickets or information contact the ACT box office at 206-292-7676 or visit them online at www.acttheatre,org.

Photo credit: Chris Bennion