A revival of Other Desert Cities is probably the most anticipated ticket of the fall theater season, mostly because it represents the Broadway debut of actress and comedian Julia Louis-Dreyfus. But the real anchor of the play is 44-year-old Lily Rabe. In a role originated by Elizabeth Marvel and then Rachel Griffiths, Rabe is Brooke Wyeth, a writer who goes to Palm Springs to confront her conservative parents (played by Louis-Dreyfus and Ed Harris) and aunt (here played by Allison Janney) about the death of her brother.
Here Rabe, who appeared in this summer’s Shakespeare in the Park production of The Winter’s Tale and can be currently seen on Apple TV’s Shrinking talks about what drew her to Other Desert Cities.
What is your prior relationship with the play?
I saw it on Broadway in 2011. Judith Light is a dear friend so I wouldn’t have missed it. I remember thinking, “I hope they revive this play and I can play that part.” You have these thoughts but never think they will become reality. I love Jon Robin Baitz’s writing so much. I love the writing in the play more and more doing it, it’s the kind of play you can imagine doing for a long time, there’s so much to mine. It felt politically relevant then, and, unfortunately, it’s still very politically relevant today. Outside of politics the play is timeless in all sorts of ways. It’s about uncovering a piece of a family’s history and what that does to the relationships in it.
Why revive it now, and what should 2026 audiences take away?
Well, I hope it swings some votes! As an artist, speaking to the political moment is always important, and it certainly can be said that it is more important than ever right now. There’s so much division in this country, in the world, and there is so much division in the Wyeth family, politically and personally, and that kind of divisiveness plays out on both the macro and micro levels.
What is your wind-down routine after a show, in terms of watching, reading or listening?
I’m always looking for the perfect wind-down show. It’s usually British. I just finished the last available season of Colin from Accounts, which is actually Australian, and I love watching my friends Rafe Spall and Esther Smith in Trying. That one’s British. Sharon Horgan in anything. [Husband] Hamish [Linklater] just bought me the new Emma Cline novel. Winding down always takes me a while after the show, so finding things that hit the sweet spot is a challenge. I try to find things that feel cozy.
How does this ensemble compare to others you’ve worked with in the past?
I’ve never loved an ensemble of actors more. We’re very close, and we all feel so lucky to be doing this play together. We keep finding ways to spend more time together, not less. We warm up together, we dance together, we go out to dinner on our night off. I’m in love with them individually and collectively, on stage and off. It may sound like hyperbole, but it’s fact.
How has performing indoors compared to your time at Shakespeare in the Park?
I have been able to delete a lot of weather apps off my phone. Over the summer, I was very keyed into what the skies were doing, how ominous they were looking, and whether the show would happen. Now I just think about whether or not I should grab an umbrella, so the stakes are lower for sure in that department. On the other hand, doing a play outside, at the Delacorte, in the rain or heat or whatever it may be, is one of my greatest joys. I suppose it is nice knowing no one’s at risk of missing the show when you do an indoor play. And that the weather has less of an emotional hold on me for the moment. But I love doing plays with ceilings and without them, and I will forever.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Polly Wyeth & Lily Rabe as Brooke Wyeth in “Other Desert Cities” (Emilio Madrid)
