Dezart Performs Continues 11th Season with White Guy On The Bus by Bruce Graham
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Dezart Performs Continues 11th Season with White Guy On The Bus by Bruce Graham
Searing drama of racial and social divide directed by Michael Shaw runs March 1 – 10
www.dezartperforms.org
4 February 2019 – Palm Springs, CA: Weaving back and forth between the past and present, a bus, a wealthy suburban home and a down-and-out urban apartment, Bruce Graham’s White Guy On The Busdelivers a searing montage of elements about America’s current racial and economic divide. Directed by Michael Shaw, it is the hardest-hitting drama of the 11th Season from the award winning Dezart Performs of Palm Springs. White Guy On The Bus is “a scalding take on race” (The New York Times) “a play with guts. This one goes right for the jugular” (The Chicago Tribune). The play runs March 1 – 10 at thePearl McManus Theater (at the historic Palm Springs Woman’s Club / 314 S Cahuilla Road, Downtown Palm Springs).
“Good theatre holds up a mirror to our society,” said Shaw, not one to step away from controversy in his role as the founding artistic director for Dezart Performs. “However, sometimes what we see in the mirror is not what we expect, and often we don’t like the reflection. White Guy On The Bus is an example, truly, of an American mirror cracked.”
Week after week, a wealthy white businessman rides the same bus, befriending a single black mom. As they get to know one another, their pasts unfold and tensions rise, igniting a disturbing and crucial exploration of race, and a contemporary morality play that cuts across racial, social and economic lines.
The cast for White Guy On The Bus features David Youse as Ray, Alexana Thomas as Roz, Desireé Clarke as Shatique, Sean Timothy Brown as Christopher and Bianca Stoker as Molly.
Dezart Performs, one of the Coachella Valley’s preeminent theatre companies, recognizes that the performing arts enrich the life and culture of a community, promote greater understanding and provoke insightful discussion. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit theatre company, its mission is to provide an artistic home for bold and cutting–edge plays, creating an atmosphere of artistic growth for actors, writers, and directors who uniquely contribute to the diverse theatrical environment in the Coachella Valley.
Sponsors of Dezart Performs’ 2018/19 Season include The Riviera Palm Springs, Desert Care Network, Eight4Nine Restaurant & Lounge, Acqua at the River, TRIO Restaurant, Hotel Zoso and the Desert Sun.
Showtimes for White Guy On The Bus: Fridays and Saturdays @ 7:30pm, Saturdays and Sundays @ 2pm. Ticket prices are $45 Opening Night with Post Show Reception; $35 Evening; $30 Matinee. Performances take place at the Pearl McManus Theater (at the historic Palm Springs Woman’s Club) 314 S Cahuilla Road, Downtown Palm Springs. Tickets may be purchased online www.dezartperforms.org
The 11th Season for Dezart Performs Ends With:
Maytag Virgin
A southern love story by Audrey Cefaly
Directed by Deborah Harmon
April 5 — 14, 2019
Alabama high-school teacher Lizzy Nash is on a leave of absence after the sudden death of her husband when a mysterious new neighbor moves in next door. Jack and Lizzy, both hiding a world of secrets and pain, excite and confound each other. Maytag Virgin explores the ideas of moving forward and self-enlightenment, and the bridge between the two.
“….unflinchingly honest. Cefaly’s writing is richly-layered, creating compelling characters that must balance love and heartache, the safe with the unfamiliar.”– DC Metro Theatre Arts
“…it’s the emotional journey of Maytag Virgin gives it such a wallop. Cefaly writes with sympathy and a finely-sharpened wit.” – BroadwayWorld.com