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Oedipus at Palm Springs

Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy  /  5w

Lisa Kron, Dominique Dibbell, Peg Healey, Maureen Angelos

Winner! 2011 LAMBDA Literary Award for Best LGBT Play!

Oedipus at Palm Springs follows the dark adventure of two couples on a retreat to the desert resort town.

Oedipus at Palm Springs

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    5w
  • Duration
    Duration
    105 Minutes
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult
Accolades
Accolades
  • Winner! 2011 LAMBDA Literary Award for Best LGBT Play!

Details

Summary
Irreverent theater group The Five Lesbian Brothers get their greasy prints on a classic. Oedipus at Palm Springs follows the dark adventure of two couples on a retreat to the desert resort town. While new parents Fran and Con try desperately to jump-start their sex life, May-December love bunnies Prin and Terri can't keep their hands off each other. What begins as a hilarious, boozey weekend takes a horrific turn after a secret is revealed. Two parts comedy with a shot of tragedy shaken over ice, Oedipus at Palm Springs is a brave examination of the messy guts of relationships.
History

Oedipus at Palm Springs premiered at the New York Theatre Workshop in New York City in July 2005 under the direction of Leigh Silverman.

Cast Attributes
Keywords
Performing Groups
PRIN – (short for PRINCESS, early 50s*) Terri’s lover, a handsome stone butch and a highly successful/wealthy entrepreneur with a pen-chant for the ladies and booze. Loves and is devoted to Terri.
TERRI – (mid-30s*) Prin’s lover. A younger, post-gay lesbian and a stu-dent. A devoted lover, dependent on Prin.
CON – (40s) A feminist lesbian. Fran’s life partner, co-parent of Basil, an industrious hospital administrator, sexually frustrated.
FRAN – (40s) Soft butch. Con’s life partner, bio-mom of Basil. Ex-business partner and long-time devoted friend of Prin. Sexually disinterested.
JONI – (60s) Blind manager of Casitas Bonitas, painter and soothsayer. One thirty-eighth Native American.

The age difference between Prin and Terri must be 15 years or more.

  • Time Period New Millennium/21st Century
  • Setting Casitas Bonitas: A private, walled-in women’s desert resort, and other locations. 2005
  • Duration 105 Minutes
  • Cautions
    • Alcohol
    • Strong Language
    • Mild Adult Themes
    • Smoking

Media

REVIEWS

"Along the way to the inevitable dark twist is much lightness and enlightenment to revel in-- not just a lot of zingy one-liners about commitment, gay life in America, parenthood, and growing older, but also a real sense of these four women as women, friends, and lovers... It may be the saddest comedy you'll ever see." - The Boston Globe

"Richly funny as it is, Oedipus at Palm Springs is also a serious inquiry into the unforeseen extremities of despair that can attend the search for a pure and lasting love." - The New York Times

"Sensitive storytelling." - New York Magazine

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  • Minimum Fee: $110 per performance

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Authors

Lisa Kron

Lisa Kron

Lisa Kron is a writer and performer whose work has been widely produced in New York, regionally, and internationally. Her plays include Well, 2.5 Minute Ride and The Ver**zon Play. She wrote the book and lyrics for the musical Fun Home (with music by composer Jeanine Tesori), ...

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Author

Dominique Dibbell

Author

Peg Healey

Author

Maureen Angelos

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