"I honestly could not have asked for a better band of actors," writes Shelly Wozniak in her director's notes for Cyrano's production of "Other Desert Cities." True enough, the performers are as polished an ensemble as any I've seen in Anchorage for a while and they have excellent material from playwright Jon Robin Baitz, one of the best American dramatic writers.
"Desert Cities" is a rock-hard tragedy in that it's difficult to see how things could have turned out differently. It casts people as trapped by a destiny created by their own failings and affections. But it also suggests that redemption can be found, as one character says, by accepting each other's diverse views of the truth.
The whole play takes place in the California home of Lyman and Polly Wyeth. He's a former actor, she's a former screenwriter now involved in conservative social circles and politics. Their son produces a successful television game show, which brings him no respect from his family. As Christmas approaches, their daughter flies in from the East Coast with the manuscript of a book that's about to be published and excerpted in The New Yorker about how her oldest brother was involved with a group that committed terror more than 20 years ago (the timeline isn't entirely clear) and vanished with only a suicide note stuffed in a discarded shoe.
The daughter blames her parents for her brother's death and her subsequent mental illness. The parents are incensed. An aunt urges her to go ahead with the project. The producer son tries to keep the peace. No one has the whole picture. Or, if they do, they're not talking about it.
I was not surprised to see stellar performances turned in by this cast: Gigi Lynch, playing the mother, and Krista M. Schwarting, the daughter, have been bright spots in some of the most memorable shows in town in recent years. Likewise, Jill Bess was at her best in the role of the alcoholic aunt. John Paul Ahern, playing the father, was not a familiar name to me, but his credentials include the old Alaska Repertory Theatre and a recurring role on the NBC soap "Generations" and he turned out to be an absolute professional.
I was surprised at how good Austin James Roach, a relative newcomer, was in the part of the son. The character initially comes off as the tamest spice in the Wyeth family goulash but is, in fact, the steady backbone of it, encompassing the best of his kin while avoiding their limiting rigidities.
Baitz unfolds his story as a classic realistic "well-made" play -- think "Gaslight." There is nothing abstract, absurdist or supernatural. We get bits and pieces of what's really going on and different people will realize it at different points. But the pacing is such that it keeps you attentive until the end, which some may find a letdown and others may consider a satisfying wrap-up. I'm not decided either way, but it probably speaks to the author's extensive work in television; his writing credits include "The West Wing." Another less-than-smooth spot comes when a major surprise is announced in a confrontation between the mother and the aunt, but nothing comes of it. I suspect these Hollywoodish elements are what derailed Baitz from winning Tony and Pulitzer prizes, for which he was nominated.
A bigger obstacle for an audience in 2015 may be the setting among very well-to-do Hollywooders, almost -- though not quite -- caricatures. The needy writer. The callow golden boy. Parents written as pale versions of Ronald and Nancy Reagan. References to 9/11 and the second Bush administration that might be disputable and definitely feel dated or contrived. But it's the people who matter in this play, not the politics per se. And Baitz handles them with skillful empathy that makes "Desert Cities" a significant and satisfying piece of theater.
OTHER DESERT CITIES will be presented at 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday through Nov. 15 at Cyrano's, 413 D St., Anchorage. Tickets are available at centertix.net.