DESERT HOLIDAY
"I found myself thinking about this show for days." - The Kansas City Star
DESERT HOLIDAY
An Odd Road-Trip to Prom
Cast: 4
Type: full-length
Genre: tender comedy
Keyword: depression, prom, sales, loneliness, risk taking, love
Synopsis: One desperate woman. One toilet salesman. One naked cowboy. One drifter. They all collide 31 miles north of Reno. The search for love is a so-called "complicated highway,” and remember all highways lead to prom.
Production History:
Workshopped: Kansas City Dance Studio - Kansas City, MO - 1993
Staged Reading: Unicorn Theatre - Kansas City, MO - 1994
Staged Reading: Kansas City Repertory Theatre - Kansas City, MO - 1995
Equity Showcase: WCH Theatre - Kansas City, MO - 1996
Community Theatre: Lawrence Community Theatre - Lawrence, KS - 1997
NNPN Showcase: InterAct Theatre Company - 2000
World Premiere: Unicorn Theatre - Kansas City, MO - 2001
SIMONIAN TAKES A BREAK FROM HIS IMAGE WITH 'DESERT HOLIDAY' WESTPORT COFFEEHOUSE SHOW VEERS AWAY FROM URBAN VIOLENCE THEMES.
July 12, 1998 By ROBERT TRUSSELL Publication: The Kansas City Star
``It's about love, about people searching for a connection. It's one of his better plays, as a whole. It's savagely funny but poignant. '' More
'HOLIDAY' A ROAD TRIP WORTH TAKING
January 22, 2001 By DEREK DONOVAN Publication: The Kansas City Star
Ron Simonian's "Slight Defect, A Desert Holiday," is a rare, if raunchy, delight. It's a stage comedy that balances absurdity with plausibility, nonsense with profundity, and the spiritual with the mundane. Playwright Simonian has found a convincing, cohesive rhythm in this work, which stands as one of the most successful original plays seen at the Unicorn. More
FOR KATHLEEN WARFEL, A STARRING ROLE IS BORN 'DESERT HOLIDAY' PROVIDES THE KIND OF ROLE THE GIFTED ACTRESS DESERVES.
August 9, 1998 By ROBERT TRUSSELL Publication: The Kansas City Star
This, arguably, is Simonian's best play in terms of sentiment and structure. It's logically organized, offers cleverly drawn characters and unexpected twists and frequently rings with crisp, rhythmic dialogue. One test of a good play is how long it lingers in the viewer's mind after the house lights come up. I found myself thinking about this show for days. More
A SLIGHT CHANGE OF PACE - PLAYWRIGHT RON SIMONIAN KEEPS THE ODD - CHARACTERS BUT NOT THE ODD STORY LINE IN 'DESERT HOLIDAY'
January 19, 2001 By ROBERT TRUSSELL Publication: The Kansas City Star
Ladies and gentlemen, meet the other side of Ron Simonian. Tonight the Unicorn Theatre opens "Slight Defect, a Desert Holiday," and while the comedy has its share of singular Simonian absurdities and bizarre twists, by the standards of Kansas City's most interesting playwright this piece is saturated with sweetness and light. More