Other Desert Cities will be performed by members of Westford Academy Theater Arts in the Black Box this month. The play is centered around Brooke Wyeth, who is returning from the East Coast back to her family’s home in California. She joins her brother Trip, her parents Polly and Lyman, and her Aunt Silda for the holidays. Upon her arrival, she tells the family that she has written a memoir about their deepest family secret and plans to publish it.
Jenie Michael, a senior at WA, is directing the performance.
Abigail Welch, Michael’s Assistant Director, said she was very surprised when Michael asked her, because she was just a freshman at the time.
“I saw it as my chance to dive into WATA,” said Welch.
After the first day of auditions, Michael called back twelve actors and then casted five for the production.
“As soon as I got to my car, I started jumping up and down, because I got a call back,” said freshman Ethan Parker, who plays the role of Lyman Wyeth.
The rest of the cast said they relate to Parker’s reaction, as they all were excited to be casted.
An unusual aspect to this production is that the cast is all freshmen.
“Everyone that I have casted is a freshman, and that is incredibly rare,” said Michael.” I’ve never seen it happen before at WA.”
Freshman Nina Tedstone, who plays Silda Grauman, said that she received tremendous support from not only other cast members, but also upperclassmen.
“It was a really good feeling to have so much support from everybody,” Tedstone said. “And it happened to all of us.”
Out of all the upperclassmen who reached out to them, the cast said the most supportive person has been Michael. As supportive as she is of her cast, Michael said she is facing some challenges as a director.
Michael said getting the cast to remember their lines is definitely a challenge, as well staying in character. There is always more to be done during rehearsal, which adds to Michael’s stress level.
Although she is stressed now, Michael says she knows it will all be worth it when Other Desert Cities opens on Halloween night.
“My favorite part is seeing everything come together,” she said. “On opening night I will be able to sit back and watch them perform on stage and say ‘Wow, we have come so far.'”
