The founders of Desert Theatreworks are reaching out to the community to get involved, whether on stage or off, in bringing creativity to life in the Indio area.
“I invite everyone to come out and participate in one way or another," Ron Phillips-Martinez, chief executive officer and one of the founders of Desert Theatreworks, said in an interview.
In that interview, Phillips-Martinez discusses how Desert Theatreworks has impacted the community, its history and its goals, which include encouraging residents to have a share in the many layers that go into a sellout play.
According to Phillips-Martinez, the idea for Desert Theatreworks arose from the combined individual talents of he and his husband, Lance. Lance contributes 30 years of theater experience and has been entertaining since his days in children's camp, where he fell in love with the art. On the other hand, Phillips-Martinez brings to the table a strong business background, especially with nonprofits. Together they hoped to give back to the community by launching this theater company in 2013, he said.
The goal was to tie this theater to the community and be accessible to those who share their love for the stage and artistic expression in a safe and creative environment. According to Phillips-Martinez in the interview, the company welcomes much more than actors as the theater counts on many talents, including costume design, set design, technical aspects and more. The founders hope that Desert Theatreworks can connect everyone, regardless of age, to the world of entertainment.
Community members shared their vision, and the story has been one of expansion ever since, Phillips-Martinez said in the interview. Desert Theatreworks has come a long way since that first show in a space in the Joslyn Center, a Palm Springs senior center, to filling the house before COVID-19. Their schedule is a busy one with 10 shows a year, a children’s production, play readings and numerous auxiliary programs, he said.
Since the idea was always to give back to the community, the real rewards for Phillips-Martinez are the individuals whose lives have been touched by Desert Theatreworks. For one customer who always loved the theater but isolated herself after her husband passed away, Desert Theatreworks helped her get out again. She has been at every single opening night show since then, Phillips-Martinez said in the interview.
In the interview, Phillips-Martinez also mentioned a youth who took a theater tech job due to shyness but eventually overcame his fear with a desire to be on stage. These are the kinds of experiences that make Desert Theatreworks so worthwhile for Phillips-Martinez and why he continues to extend the invitation for community members to come out and discover what it's all about.