Just A Walk In The Park? Searingly Funny Black Comedy CLYBOURNE PARK Is Next Up At Dezart Performs

On the heels of "Casa Valentina," its enormously successful first production of the season, Dezart Performs will present the uproariously funny black comedy, Clybourne Park, a play written as a spin-off to Lorraine Hansberry's 1959 classic play A Raisin in the Sun which focuses on cultural and racial issues in a Chicago community. As described by The Washington Post during the 2011-12 season of the Seattle Repertory production, the play "applies a modern twist to the issues of race and housing and aspirations for a better life....and is one of its feistiest, funniest evenings in years." Clybourne Park has received multiple prestigious awards including the 2012 Tony Award for Best Play and the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Clybourne Park deals with attitudes about the racial integration of a black family into a historically all-white community and presents various points of view held by the assorted characters in the play. The New York Timeshailed it as "ferociously smart" and Variety raved, "Yes, it's dangerous and provocative, but pulverizingly funny to boot!"

"Clybourne Park is an incredibly bold piece of theatre, and will have audiences laughing one moment, and squirming in their seats the next," stated director Michael Shaw, Dezart Performs artistic director. "This is a powerful story and is particularly timely given the racial divisions in the country that came to light during our recent election. We hope the play can help bring a perspective of tolerance and understanding while offering a thoroughly entertaining work to our audiences," Shaw noted.

Clybourne Park was written by Bruce Norris and premiered in New York in 2010. Subsequently the play premiered at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company in a production directed by Steppenwolf ensemble member Amy Morton.

Dezart Performs's production of Clybourne Park is directed by artistic director Michael Shaw and stars David Youse, Theresa Jewett, Rob Hubler, Ron Morehouse, Desireé Clarke, Robert Ramirez, Sean Timothy Brown and Phylicia Mason. It is co-produced by Michael Shaw and Clark Dugger, with set design by Thomas L. Valach and lighting design by Phil Murphy. The production stage manager is Diane McClure.

"We are thrilled to debut this award-winning production in Palm Springs," Shaw added. Clybourne Park runs January 13-22 at The Pearl McManus Theatre located at the historic Palm Springs Women's Club in downtown Palm Springs. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 pm.

Dezart Performs is committed to presenting a truly special theatre experience to Palm Springs and all of the Coachella Valley by bringing bold, provocative, and cutting-edge theatre to the community.

Dezart Performs is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to explore new theatrical works. By providing an artistic home for new and rarely-produced plays, we aim to create an atmosphere of creative growth for actors, writers, and directors in Palm Springs and the surrounding desert valley area. Through encouraging and nurturing new talent, we hope to cultivate increased artistic awareness and ideas in the community.

For tickets or further information visit www.dezartperforms.org

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