“Other Desert Cities” opens on Christmas Eve 2004, at the Wyeths’ palatial Palm Springs home.
Polly (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Lyman (Ed Harris), a former film writer and old Hollywood movie star, respectively, are thrilled to have their adult children home for the holidays.
Polly, Lyman and the kids return from a game of tennis at the nearby country club.
“Other Desert Cities” is a resounding piece of theater, not simply because of the subject matter but because of the performances.
An exquisite portrait of 21st-century Americana, centering on a family divided by politics, ideology and a hidden history, “Other Desert Cities” is smart, authentic and deeply satisfying.