Joe Mantello drops out of Center Theatre’s ‘Other Desert Cities’

Citing a “scheduling conflict,” Center Theatre Group has announced that Joe Mantello will no longer direct its upcoming production of “Other Desert Cities,” which was nominated for five Tony awards during its recent Broadway run under Mantello’s direction.

Written by Jon Robin Baitz, “Other Desert Cities” will now be directed by Robert Egan, who was producing director at the Taper for 20 seasons before his departure in 2003, and directed its New Work Festival. Egan is currently artistic director of the Ojai Playwrights Conference.

In addition to numerous other plays Egan directed during his tenure, he also directed a production of Baitz’s “Ten Unknowns,” which was presented during the 2002-03 season. “Other Desert Cities” marks the sixth of Baitz’s plays to have been presented by Center Theatre Group.

“Other Desert Cities” was scheduled to begin performances at the Mark Taper Forum on Nov. 21, but as a result of the change that date has been pushed back to Nov. 28. The play is scheduled to officially open on Dec. 9 and will run through Jan. 6.

The play was nominated for best play at the 2012 Tony Awards, but lost to”Clybourne Park,” which was produced earlier this year at the Taper. Tickets go on sale on Aug. 9 at the Center Theatre Group box office.

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