Continuing its 20th Anniversary Season, City Theatre Austin proudly presents Other Desert Cities, a searing family saga by Pulitzer Prize finalist, playwright, and screenwriter Jon Robin Baitz. Family pride proves thicker than blood in this award-winning play that lays bare the secrets, loyalties, and lies within a privileged American family.
“Honey, news flash. You’re not a Texan, you’re a Jew!” – Silda
That line struck me as funny and true. So many other acerbic and cutting quips came from Polly Wyeth, the mother, played brilliantly by Maureen Klein Slabaugh. Polly is all about keeping up appearances, avoiding uncomfortable truths, and standing firm as a hypocrite toward her daughter and sharp sister, Aunt Silda played by Anne Hulsman.
After a six-year absence, Brooke Wyeth, (the daughter) performed by Ashley Hufford (lead photo), returns to her family’s upscale Palm Springs home and Reagan-era political leaning to celebrate the holidays. She brings with her more than just tidings of cheer. Armed with a tell-all memoir that resurrects a tragic event in the family’s past, Brooke draws a line in the sand, daring her parents, brother, and aunt to cross it and confront their buried secrets.
“I’m sorry I’m a writer, but that’s how I was born,” says Brooke — and that one sentence detonates the tension at the heart of the play.
The son, played by Payton Trahan, has a slightly Southern twang despite the California setting, which somehow fits his indecisive nature. He mirrors his father, Lyman Wyeth (portrayed by Tim Blackwood), a man defined by charm (he was a former actor) and avoidance. As Brooke’s explosive revelation surfaces, the family unravels — though they were never truly “together,” despite the words I love you. With biting wit, razor-sharp dialogue, and moral complexity, Baitz crafts a riveting examination of family loyalty, identity, and love that keeps the audience enthralled until the final curtain.
“On your last day on earth, you will be frightened, and the only thing that will matter is how you loved.”
— Jon Robin Baitz, Other Desert Cities
The interior design of the upright “WASP-ified GOP zombie” household evokes 1960s retro chic, a deliberate contrast to the play’s 2004 setting — a visual cue underscoring how the Wyeth parents remain trapped in a fantasy version of America long past, except that’s not true. The ultra-rigid values held by the parents reflect then and, unfortunately, now again in 2025.
The show runs: November 7 – 23
Thursday – Saturday 8:00 pm | Sunday 3:00 pm
Genesis Creative Collective, 1507 Wilshire Blvd., Austin, TX 78722
General Seating $20–25 | Center Reserved $30–35
Group, senior, and student discounts available
Tickets & Info: citytheatreaustin.org | 512-470-1100 | info@citytheatreaustin.org
Lead photo: The character Brooke Wyeth;
second photo: Brooke Wyeth and her brother Trip; Photo Credit for both: Andy Berkovsky