John Robin
Baitz’ OTHER DESERT CITIES (playing at SpeakEasy Stage thru Feb. 9th)
starts off as a clever little comedy about what writers owe their families, if
they use them as subject matter. Baitz gets plenty of laughs from the friction
created when parents and children hold to opposing political opinions. (Is
there any other kind of family?) Mother (Karen MacDonald) and father (Munson
Hicks) are old Hollywood conservatives,
throwbacks to the Reagan era. Brother (Christopher M. Smith) and Sister (Anne
Gottlieb) have a tough time of it visiting over the holidays. Oh, and there’s a
sassy auntie (Nancy E. Carroll) just to give mother a fit.
Then Baitz
changes horses in midstream and abandons the ethical dilemma altogether by
introducing a mystery of sorts in Act II. (I don’t want to give anything away so
I won’t say anymore except that I think Baitz’ math is off… or are the actors
too young?) It doesn’t really matter because the pleasure of CITIES is in the
production.
Director Scott
Edmiston has a first rate cast, with Gottlieb miraculously avoiding being
shrill as the grown daughter still plagued by childhood issues. Gottlieb has
our sympathies, even as she charges blindly ahead, seemingly without regard for
her parents’ or her brother’s wishes. Smith gives an extraordinary performance
as her longsuffering sibling, culminating in a cathartic “Let me tell you about
my problems!” speech.
MacDonald is in
her element as the rather severe mother who upbraids her daughter with the
nasty “Sarcasm is the purview of teenagers and homosexuals.” Carroll balances
things out, sparring with MacDonald at every turn and siding with the children.
