Company of Fools Opens OTHER DESERT CITIES Tonight

Hidden secrets are unearthed and family tensions fly high in Pulitzer Prize nominee Jon Robin Baitz's contemporary family drama Other Desert Cities, hailed by the New York Times as "the best new play on Broadway" in 2011. Richmond Theatre Critics Circle award winner and Company of Fools' founder RusTy Wilson returns to direct the Idaho premiere of the show with a standout cast that features Keith Moore, Denise Simone and Patsy Wygle and guest actors Hanna Cheek and Adrian Rieder. Other Desert Cities runs tonight, July 2-27, 2013 at the Liberty Theatre.

When Brooke Wyeth arrives at her parents' Palm Springs mansion on Christmas Eve with the manuscript of her tell-all memoir in tow, she unearths a devastating family secret that throws her parents into a panic and threatens to rip the clan apart. With biting wit and razor-sharp insight, Other Desert Cities "has the appeal of a Broadway hit from another age" (The New York Times). Full of surprisingly touching moments, Jon Robin Baitz's play brings dysfunctional family drama to new heights in this witty, deeply enjoyable work that garnered a Tony Award nomination for Best New Play and won the 2012 Drama League Award.

The creative team for Other Desert Cities includes Joe Lavigne (Set Designer), John Glenn (Lighting Designer), TEd Macklin (Sound Design) and K.O. Ogilvie (Stage Manager).

RusTy Wilson (Direction) is a free-lance theatre artist and teacher based in Richmond, VA. Since moving to Richmond in 2005, he has directed a number of critically acclaimed productions including Firehouse Theatre's, Death of a Salesman, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?, Eurydice, and Mr. Marmalade. He also directed Cadence Theatre's production of In The Next Room, or the vibrator play. Prior to moving to Richmond, Rusty spent ten years serving as the Founding Artistic Director for Company of Fools, an award winning theatre company located in Sun Valley, Idaho. Favorite directing credits there include Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, The Glass Menagerie, Uncle Vanya, James Joyce's The Dead, Waiting for Godot, How I Learned to Drive, The Tempest, Death and the Maiden, and Buried Child. During Rusty's tenure, Company of Fools received the Idaho Governor's Award, and it continues to be one of Idaho's leading arts institutions. Rusty has been a guest director and teacher at various colleges and universities around the country, and received a fellowship in directing in 2003. He currently serves as the Arts Dept. Chair, and Director of Theatre at St. Christopher's School.

Jon Robin Baitz (Playwright) plays include Maizlansky/Zilinsky or "smucks," The Film Society, The Substance of Fire, The End of the Day, Three Hotels, A Fair Country, (an adaptation of) Hedda Gabler, Ten Unknowns and The Paris Letter. He is a Pulitzer Prize finalist for A Fair Country and a Guggenheim, NEA and American Academy of the Arts and Letters Award winner. He is on the faculties of the New School's Graduate Drama Division and Stony Brook South Hampton's MFA in theater and film. His screenplays include The Substance of Fire and People I Know starring Al Pacino, both for Miramax. He created the ABC drama Brothers & Sisters in 2006, after writing an episode of The West Wing (The Long Goodbye). Other Desert Cities was nominated for Lortel, Drama Desk, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle Awards, winning the latter two.

The Cast of Other Desert Cities (in alphabetical order)

Hanna Cheek (Brooke) Off-Broadway: Happy Birthday (TACT, Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row); with Waterwell (member since 2003) devised and performed in: GOODBAR (The Public), The Persians...a comedy about war (Perry Street Theatre), Hostage Song (Belt Theatre), Commencement (Company of Fools, Under St Marks, U.S. & Canadian tour. TV/Film: The West Wing, Titus, Ugly Americans, All Roads Lead. Education: Sarah Lawrence College, British American Dramatic Academy, Improv Olympic.

Keith Moore (Lyman) began his career with the BAM Repertory Company in New York City. He performed on Off-Broadway stages, in commercials and on All My Children and One Life to Live. Keith has appeared in many plays at the nexStage Theatre and in The Spitfire Grill, Violet and God of Carnagewith Company of Fools.

Adrian Rieder (Trip) has performed Off-Broadway and regionally opposite such noted actors as Elizabeth Ashley, Dixie Carter, Marlo Thomas, and F. Murray Abraham. Favorite roles include: Biff in Death of a Salesman, Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Edmund in King Lear, and Leontes in The Winter's Tale. He has trained with Anne Bogart and the Siti Company and is a graduate of The Juilliard School.

Denise Simone (Polly) is a founding member and Core Company Artist of Company of Fools as well an accomplished actor, director, teacher, and playwright with over 30 years experience in the world of professional theatre. Favorite roles include; The Syringa Tree, Lou in Welcome Home Jenny Sutter,Becca in Rabbit Hole, Shirley in Shirley Valentine, Karen in Dinner With Friends, Terry in Side Man, and Roberta in Danny and the Deep Blue Sea for Company of Fools.

Patsy Wygle (Silda) moved to the Wood River Valley in 2006 after spending 29 years as a professional actor in New York City. During her years there, she appeared Off-Broadway with the American Theatre Company, as Mrs. O'Connor on Law and Order: SVU and Angie on One Life to Live. She and her husband Keith Moore also had an Off-Off-Broadway theater company for six years.

Full company bios and images available upon request. Please e-mail denise@companyoffools.org

Company of Fools' Season Sponsors are High Country Fusion and Scott Miley Roofing. Show sponsors for Other Desert Cities are Carol & Len Harlig.

Tickets are $35 for full price, $25 for seniors and Center members and $10 for students (18 and under). These ticket prices do not include the "Pay What You Feel" preview (July 2), 10 for $10, and Educator Night (July 4). There is also a SPECIAL GROUP RATE - groups of 6 or more receive $25 tickets!

Tickets may be purchased online at companyoffools.org, by phone at 208.578.9122 or at the Liberty Theatre box office starting one hour prior to curtain. Company of Fools' box office is located at the Liberty Theatre, 110 N. Main Street in Hailey, with hours from 10 AM to 4 PM, Monday through Friday. All seats are reserved - except for our "Pay What you Feel" preview.

Performance Schedule

Tuesday, July 2 7PM "PAY WHAT YOU FEEL" NIGHT

Wednesday, July 3 7PM

Thursday, July 4 7PM Educators Night

Friday, July 5 8PM

Saturday, July 6 8PM

Tuesday, July 9 7PM SOLD OUT

Wednesday, July 10 7PM

Thursday, July 11 7PM

Friday, July 12 8PM

Saturday, July 13 8PM

Tuesday, July 16 7PM

Wednesday, July 17 7PM

Saturday, July 20 8PM

Tuesday, July 23 7PM

Wednesday, July 24 7PM

Thursday, July 25 7PM

Friday, July 26 8PM

Saturday, July 27 8PM

"10 for $10"

Ten seats are sold for $10 each on each night at the box office starting one hour prior to the performance. Limit two tickets per person.

Educator Nights - July 4 (7PM)

$10 tickets are available to currently employed educators and school administrators for this designated night. These tickets may be purchased in advance. Limit two per person.

Photo via Company of Fools

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