WEDNESDAY, June 27, 2018: Dezart Performs is pleased to announce that for its upcoming 11th season it will expand from three to four major productions, and for the first time offer reserved seating.
Artistic Director Michael Shaw commented, “Our challenge was to surpass the bar we set with our celebratory 10th anniversary season. But the quality and appeal of the plays we’ve selected for 2018/2019 suggest we will more than match our tradition of offering relevant, stimulating, and thought-provoking productions that have never before been staged in the Coachella Valley.” Three- and four-show season packages go on sale June 29th at 9 AM.
Dezart Performs’ 2018/2019 season will feature:
CHURCH & STATE (November 9 – 18, 2018)
Directed by Michael Shaw
The season opens with a political comedy that was described by NPR as “crackling, resonant, humorous.” The story begins three days before an election when an off-the-cuff comment by a conservative U.S. senator leaks to the press and calls into question his stance on guns and God. His devoutly Christian wife and liberal Jewish campaign manager try to contain the damage. Religion influences politics. Politics becomes religion. CHURCH & STATE is simultaneously serious, funny, heartbreaking, uplifting, and resonates well beyond the stage.
PERFECT ARRANGEMENT (January 11 – 20, 2019)
Directed by Michael Shaw
Like CHURCH & STATE, PERFECT ARRANGEMENT skillfully balances laugh-out-loud comedy with keen drama. Set during the Red Scare of the 1950s, two U.S. State Department employees, Bob and Norma, are tasked to identify sexual deviants within their ranks. But unknown to their co-workers is that Bob and Norma are gay, and have married each other’s partners as a cover. Inspired by a true story from the earliest days of the American gay rights movement, madcap comedy continuously alternates with provocative drama as two “All-American” couples are forced to stare down the closet door.
WHITE GUY ON THE BUS (March 1 – 10, 2019)
Directed by Michael Shaw
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. WHITE GUY ON THE BUS was written by Bruce Graham, playwright of award-winning THE OUTGOING TIDE which was produced by Dezart Performs in 2017. Commenting on the power and impact of WHITE GUY ON THE BUS, the Chicago Tribune said “This one goes for the jugular” and the New York Times said it is “A scalding take on race.”
MAYTAG VIRGIN (April 5 – 14, 2019)
Directed by Deborah Harmon
Alabama high-school teacher Lizzy Nash is on a leave of absence after the sudden death of her husband when a mysterious new neighbor, Jack, moves in next door. Jack and Lizzy, each hiding a world of secrets and pain, excite and confound each other. Witty, compelling, and honest, MAYTAG VIRGIN exposes the emotional turbulence that is integral to moving forward, the turmoil that precedes self-enlightenment, and reveals a bridge between the two.