OTHER DESERT CITIES - Alumnae Theatre

January 22 - February 2, 2025 (Mainstage)

Other Desert Cities by Jon Robin Baitz

Director: Ilana Linden

Producer: Amélie Martyn

Producer: Melody Schaal

Set in the sun-soaked enclave of Palm Springs, Other Desert Cities follows an affluent and aging Republican couple as their adult daughter, a liberal-leaning writer, returns home with plans to expose a dark family secret. This gripping story, a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, skillfully navigates the complex dynamics of family loyalty, political divides, and buried truths. It will leave you questioning the price of secrets and the ties that bind.

Here’s what Sesay Arts Magazine has to say: “As we enter a new era of more extreme political conservatism and fear mongering, Other Desert Cities reminds us of the relevance of Baitz’s themes – particularly the play’s ultimate focus on ties that bind us and which can also tear us apart.” To read the full review, click HERE

to discover what Classical 96.3FM listeners are learning about Other Desert Cities

to listen to producer Amélie Martyn’s interview on The More The Merrier with donna g

This production is generously supported by

The Director and Producer

ILANA LINDEN/DIRECTOR

Ilana is a visual artist, actor, theatre director, and filmmaker. She is the founder of Montreal’s award-winning Bulldog Productions Theatre Company. In 2005, Ilana wrote and directed Josef’s Daughter, a feature documentary that aired nationally on CBC’s The Passionate Eye. A member of Alumnae since 2018, Ilana has been involved in producing, directing, and fundraising. In 2019, she directed the Mainstage production of The Heidi Chronicles by Wendy Wasserstein.

AMELIE MARTYN/PRODUCER

Most recently, Amélie was a participant in the Young Creators Theatre Project with Crossroads Theatre. She’s loved theatre since she was little and has been thoroughly enjoying trying on different hats within production. She’s grateful to Alumnae Theatre Company for allowing her to explore her creativity and sharpen her artistic voice. She thanks the cast and crew for bringing ODC to life.

MELODY SCHAAL/PRODUCER

Born and raised in Toronto, Melody grew up falling in love with every stage of production she saw. She has a BA Honours in Theatre and Minor in Film Theory from Bishop’s University. In more recent years, she has been providing her voice to various commercials and animation projects. If you’ve seen a Dove commercial, you’ve probably heard her voice! Previous theatre roles include Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Desdemona in Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet), and Muffy/Chorus in Alumnae’s recent summer show Paved Paradise. She is very excited to be part of Other Desert Cities both on and off the stage. www.melodyschaal.com

The Actors

MELODY SCHAAL/BROOKE

ROB SCAVONE/LYMAN

Rob is delighted to be making his Alumnae Theatre debut in Other Desert Cities. Rob caught the acting bug late in life after his (semi) retirement from practising law in 2019. His recent credits include roles with act2studioWORKS, Haven Theatre, Spotlight Theatre, and The Village Players in The Fantasticks, Arsenic and Old Lace, A School for Scandal, Radical, The Loud Fence, The Importance of Being Earnest, Social Security, The Book of Will, and Alas, Poor Romeo.

DEENA BALTMAN/SILDA

Deena is thrilled to be in this funny but wrenching play at Alumnae. Recent credits at the Village Playhouse include Cookie in Rumors, Melissa in Love Letters, Pam in Silver Dagger, and Amanda in The Glass Menagerie. Other credits include Two Small Bodies (Toronto Fringe Festival), Steel Magnolias (Gryphon Theatre), The Caine Mutiny (Canadian Stage), and The Yellow Wallpaper (Alumnae Theatre). She trained at LAMDA, Equity Showcase and C.A.S.T..

BOBBY MARKOV/TRIP

Bobby Markov is a Bulgarian/Canadian actor, director, and writer for the screen and stage. His long-term aspiration is to spill, break, and expand the boundaries of the self, the “ego,” by allowing the work to invite us towards a “real,” direct, and present sense of our own unique and interconnected essence. He is currently the Creative Director of EDNØ Inc., a proud parkour traceur, coach, and stunt performer.

LYNN OLDERSHAW/POLLY

In her youth, Lynn trained as an actor and performed in Toronto and NYC. She returned to acting in 2017 after taking a prolonged “intermission” where she played a real-life psychologist, television executive, and mother of four. Since her return, Lynn has worked in theatre, film, television, and radio. In addition to her stage work with Alumnae (Nested; Shadows in the Nooks), Lynn has performed in numerous plays with various theatre groups throughout the GTA.

The Production Team

ROBYN SHEPHERD/STAGE MANAGER

Robyn loves all things backstage. From getting her first SM role in the 2024 New Ideas Festival’s Just for Tonight to managing a team on Low Pay Don’t Pay, Robyn has enjoyed collaborating with others to bring a production to audiences. Robyn is excited to be the co-stage manager of Other Desert Cities, a story of an influential family that has a dangerous secret and the repercussions that it has on each of their lives.

NICOLE ANNE SMITH/STAGE MANAGER

Nicole Anne Smith is an actor, director, and stage manager who graduated from UBC’s BFA Acting program in 2023 and completed a directing workshop at Yale. In 2022, Nicole worked as a research assistant for director Leora Morris, which involved dramaturgical and directorial tasks for various projects, including The Sound Inside at Coal Mine Theatre and a studio creation process for theatre for babies at Toronto’s Wee Festival. For Alumnae, she directed Double Down Helix (New Ideas Festival 2024). She is passionate about collaborating with emerging playwrights, and her next creative ventures may include directing staged readings and development workshops for new plays.

ZAHRA LOKHANDWALA/SET DESIGNER

Zahra, an architect and urban designer, channels her creativity into crafting immersive environments through theatre. She was an assistant set designer and carpenter for Fireworks Festival 2023 and stage-managed Things We Lost in the Fire at Crow’s Theatre. Passionate about storytelling, Zahra aspires to transform spaces into unforgettable theatrical experiences.

ISABELLA CESARI/LIGHTING DESIGNER

Isabella is a director, producer, designer, and general theatre person born and raised in Toronto. She is also the founder and executive producer of Thaumatrope Theatre and is inspired every day by the incredible artists she gets to work with through her company. You can next find Isabella at www.isabrutta.com

ANDREA STEWART/SOUND DESIGNER

This is Andrea’s second Alumnae Theatre production. She’s worked on 15+ student and volunteer theatre productions and goes to the theatre whenever she can. Andrea’s an audio engineer who occasionally puts out music (Bobbi Redd on all streaming platforms!) She thanks her loving, functional family – the irony! Enjoy the show.

MARNIE BRUNTON/PROPS DESIGNER

You may recognize Marnie Brunton from Alumnae Front of House. Marnie has been involved in many aspects of theatre and finds herself wearing a new hat as Props Designer. She is an artist, an actor, and an accomplished painter with a background in aviation. Marnie is very happy to be collaborating with the talented, hard-working team at Alumnae Theatre and recognizes its dedication to women in the Theatre Arts.

ABHISHEK SUNDARAVADANAN/LIGHTING OPERATOR

Abhishek is a passionate theatre artist with a love of directing and acting in plays. He was born in Enugu, Nigeria, raised in Bangalore, and is now based in Tkaranto . He designed and operated lights for various performances and an upcoming playwright and is absolutely multilingual in English, French, and other Indian languages. After initially acting in French productions of Albert Camus’s Étranger, Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac, and Moliere’s L’Avare and Don Juan, Abhishek forayed into English language theatre with Bangalore Little Theatre in such plays as Finding Ananda by Vijay Padaki, Partition by Ira Hauptmann, Emil’s Enemies by Doug Huff, Maya Bazaar by Sridhar Ramanathan, Sanjuktha by Viji Sasikanth, Photograph 51 by Anna Ziegler, and Monsters in the Dark by Ravi Chari and was last seen as Einstein in Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman.

NATALIYA KOZYRINA/SOUND OPERATOR

Nataliya is an emerging artist based in Toronto. Originally from Russia, she has lived in Canada for over five years. Nataliya graduated from the Music and Digital Media program at St. Lawrence College and previously studied film and media production at Humber College. She is deeply passionate about art, dedicating her free time to volunteering with Alumnae Theatre, Alexander Showcase Theatre, Underground Dance Centre, indie film sets, art galleries, and various film festivals. Disguised as a 9-5 Account Executive at Quest AV, she is reaching her full artistic potential developing an artistic initiative called AkaNat Art. It is a collective of artists focused on creating integrated art experiences, installation art, projection mapping, dance, visual arts, music, and more. Don’t be shy: if you meet Nataliya, say hi! She is super friendly.

ARYANA RIZVI/SCENIC PAINTER

Aryana Rizvi is a Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist. She has an enthusiasm for eccentric design, bold colours, and puppetry. Recent credits include blue skies, red earth and tall pines (Jumblies Theatre), Bone Cage (Alumnae Theatre), and Parktopia (Shadowland Theatre). Outside of theatre, Aryana is also a painter, muralist, and henna artist.

ALYSSON BERNABE/SCENIC PAINTER

Previous Alumnae shows include Set Designer for New Ideas Festival 2023 and Scenic Painter for Bone Cage, The Children and Fierce. Check out more of her works/portfolio at alyssonbernabe.com

CLAIRE LLOYD/STAGEHAND

Claire Lloyd is delighted to be joining Other Desert Cities backstage. She moved to Toronto from Vancouver in the fall of 2024.

Accessibility

Alumnae Theatre’s Berkeley Street entrance and the Mainstage Theatre are wheelchair accessible. There is a wheelchair accessible restroom on the ground floor.