Other Desert Cities Teaching Resources CONTENTS

Other Desert Cities Teaching resources CONTENTS Jon Robin Baitz: meet the playwright 3 Old Vic New Voices Education The Old Vic Other Desert Cities synopsis 4 The Cut London SE1 8NB Act breakdown 5 E [email protected] W oldvicnewvoices.com Character breakdown 7 @oldvicnewvoices © The Old Vic, 2014. All information Context 8 is correct at the time of going to press, but may be subject to change Global context 9 Other Desert Cities By Jon Robin Baitz Themes 10 Directed by Lindsay Posner In conversation with... Teaching Resources Compiled by Mirain Jones Design Peter Collins Martha Plimpton, Brooke Wyeth 12 Cover photography Jay Brooks Rehearsal photography Peter Egan, Lyman Wyeth 13 Johan Persson Old Vic New Voices Clare Higgins, Silda Grauman 14 Associate Director Alexander Ferris Education & Community Manager Sinéad Cusack, Polly Wyeth 15 Hannah Jenkins Further details of this production oldvictheatre.com The Old Vic Teaching Resources 2 JON ROBIN BAITZ Jon Robin Baitz was born in Los Angeles, California Subsequent stage works include Mizlansky/ although he grew up in South Africa. He feels this Zilinsky or Schmucks, a revised version of led him to idolise the States and become a believer Mizlansky/Zilinsky, a new adaptation of Henrik in the American Dream, although not a fully Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, Ten Unknowns (2001) and informed one. The Paris Letter (2005). His screenplays include the adaptation of his own Substance of Fire (1996) After graduating from Beverly Hills High School, and People I Know (2003), which starred Al Pacino. he worked as an assistant to two producers. This experience became the basis for his first Baitz’s occasional work writing for such television play Mizlansky/Zilinsky. He also drew on his series such as The West Wing and Alias led to his background for his first two-act play The Film position as creator and executive producer of the Society, about the staff of a prep school in South TV drama Brothers & Sisters, which premiered in Africa. Its 1987 success in LA led to an Off- 2006 and ran until May 2011. Broadway production in New York the following year, which earned him a Drama Desk Award His play Other Desert Cities opened Off-Broadway nomination for Outstanding New Play. This was at the Mitzi E Newhouse Theater (Lincoln Center) followed by The End of the Day and The Substance in New York on 13 January 2011, it was originally of Fire. titled Love and Mercy. In Other Desert Cities, ‘Love & Mercy: A Memoir’ is the title of Brooke’s book. In 1991 Baitz wrote and directed the two- character play Three Hotels, based on his parents, Other Desert Cities was among the ten most- for a presentation of PBS’s American Playhouse. produced plays in the United States in 2012/13. He then reworked the material for the stage, earning another Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding New Play. In 1993 he co-scripted The Frightening Frammis, which was directed by Tom Cruise and aired as an episode of the Showtime anthology series Fallen Angels. He was one of the finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for his semi-autobiographical play A Fair Country and was nominated again with Other Desert Cities. The Old Vic Teaching Resources 3 SYNOPSIS The story follows the Wyeth Brooke has written a novel that none Polly is furious at her sister for giving family at Christmas in their home of her family have read yet. Her parents, information to Brooke and reads out in Palm Springs, California. Polly and Lyman, try to persuade her to a section of the book which describes move back home as she has previously Lyman hitting Henry. Lyman rages that suffered a serious attack of depression. the implication is that because he held Brooke reveals to her brother, Trip, that up American traditions, he broke his son. actually the novel is a tell-all memoir Polly reveals that when called for, Silda about their older brother, Henry, who wasn’t there for Henry. Silda is horrified was implicated in a bombing of an and Brooke is furious that Silda has left army recruitment centre and then this fact out. Brooke says there will be a committed suicide. book if it is the last thing she publishes and turns to leave. Polly interrogates Trip about Brooke and warns him that if Brooke faces another At this Lyman snaps and unearths the breakdown she will be his problem. She greater deception behind Henry’s death. uses her sister, Silda, who is currently Polly and Lyman then tell the story of how staying with them as she recovers from Henry became implicated in the bombing, alcoholism, as an example. that he wasn’t to blame, and eventually how they found him and faked his suicide Brooke gives copies of the manuscript in order to ensure his safety. They agreed to the family, before she’s read it Polly never to tell anyone and Polly and Lyman assumes (correctly) it must be about returned to Palm Springs but they know Henry and they argue as Polly struggles he’s alive. If Brooke is to publish the to talk about what happened. Brooke book, the Wyeth family secret will be at then reveals that The New Yorker is risk. Brooke throws the manuscript at running a section in two months. Lyman her parents, shouting that she has spent decides not to read it and gives Brooke years trying to hold on to her life because his full support. Polly is outraged and of them. warns Brooke that if she goes ahead, she will lose them as parents. The last scene takes place in March 2010, Brooke is at a book reading, she explains Brooke has been sending some parts the book took so long to be published of the book to Silda. Silda begs her because she needed to look at it from a not to back down in the face of distance. She wraps up the session by parental disapproval. reading a section about Henry. The Old Vic Teaching Resources 4 ACT BREAKDOWN All of the action takes place in The Wyeth home, Palm Springs, California. Act I Scene I The play opens on Christmas Eve morning Brooke and her father discuss Brooke’s Christmas Eve morning, 2004 with the whole family together. Lyman brother Henry who committed suicide and Polly try to persuade Brooke to move after being implicated in the bombing back to Palm Springs so they can keep of an army recruitment centre due to an eye on her since she has only recently his involvement in an extremist recovered from an attack left-wing group.Lyman leaves. of depression. Brooke reveals to Trip that she’s Conversation turns to Brooke’s latest concerned that their parents will hate novel that she has written. Lyman and her new book as it’s about the story of Polly are proud of their daughter and Henry’s downfall. Trip reassures her and curious to read a copy of the manuscript. Brooke leaves to get ready for breakfast. The family tease Trip about the TV programme he produces called ‘Jury of Polly re-enters and argues with Trip Your Peers’. about the nature of family obligation and warns him that one day Brooke will be his Brooke asks whether Aunt Silda will be problem, just as Silda is Polly’s problem. joining the family for breakfast. Silda, Polly’s sister, is staying with Polly and Right on cue Silda interrupts making Lyman as they help her recover from a big entrance. She is a mess and rants alcoholism. Polly leaves. without making much sense, belying her alcoholism. Act I Scene II Late afternoon. The family have Brooke undoes this as she announces returned from their breakfast. that The New Yorker newspaper will in fact be running a feature on her book in only Brooke surprises everyone by handing two months’ time. Over the argument out copies of her manuscript. She wants that ensues it becomes clear that whilst to ‘get it over with’ and warns them that Brooke wants her parents’ blessing to it’s not really a novel but a memoir of publish the book, she may everything that’s happened to them. not get what she wants. Polly immediately (and correctly) assumes that the book is about Henry and gets Brooke is eventually left alone with only upset and agitated. Silda chips in but only her Aunt Silda. It turns out that Brooke adds fuel to the fire. Lyman attempts has been sending Silda excerpts of the to reassure Polly by pointing out that it book, and that Silda has encouraged takes a great deal of time to get a book her throughout the writing process. She published so there’s no need to come to now continues to support and encourage an agreement immediately. Brooke, who is shaken up by her parent’s (and particularly her mother’s) reaction. Lyman re-enters and tries to talk Brooke out of going through with publishing. He and Brooke argue and Brooke is left shaken and upset. The Old Vic Teaching Resources 5 ACT BREAKDOWN Act II Scene I Trip and Polly read Brooke’s manuscript If Brooke publishes the book, the family’s and the family tensions running secret will be at risk of discovery and throughout the play boil over. Polly feels Henry’s life in jeopardy. Discovering that that the book essentially accuses her and her parents have kept the truth from her Lyman of driving their son to suicide. Polly is devastating to Brooke as she feels that also resents her sister’s involvement in the she has spent years not killing herself in book’s creation and points out that Henry order to protect her parents from losing turned to Silda for help in his time of need, another child.

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