Deliciously Sordid Lives

Some families gather for a funeral and manage to keep their secrets buried. In Del Shores’ Sordid Lives, the funeral is practically an invitation to dig them up.

Palm Canyon Theatre brings the Texas family comedy back for its 12th production, opening Friday, October 30, and running through Sunday, November 15, 2026. Directed by David Beris, the revival joins the company’s 30th anniversary season with a story whose outrageous circumstances conceal a deeply recognizable wish: to be loved without having to disguise yourself.

The trouble begins with the death of family matriarch Peggy, whose affair ends fatally after she trips over her lover’s wooden legs in a motel room. It is an entrance into mourning that leaves everyone with considerably more to discuss than the flowers. Shores’ play premiered in Hollywood in May 1996 and won 14 Drama-Logue Awards.

Beneath the scandal sit questions about shame, belonging and who gets to decide what makes a respectable family. Ty struggles with coming out; his mother, Latrelle, struggles with acceptance. Brother Boy’s devotion to Tammy Wynette adds another strand to a story in which being different can carry a painful price.

The comedy’s appeal lies in that collision between absurd behavior and familiar emotional stakes. A family can survive an embarrassing revelation. Accepting the person delivering it sometimes proves harder.

Frank Barrera plays Ty, with Yo Younger as Latrelle and Larry Martin as Brother Boy. Christine Tringali Nunes appears as LaVonda, Michele Davis as Sissy, Heather Joy as Noleta and George Kralemann as G.W. The ensemble also includes Jana Giboney as Bitsy Mae, Morgana Corelli as Juanita, Felicia Freitas as Dr. Eve, Fuz Edwards as Wardell, and Nick Edwards doubling as Odell and the Rev. Barnes.

Pride Weekend brings an added attraction: Shores will participate in a live question-and-answer session after the Friday, November 6, performance, which begins at 7:30 p.m. The production is an official Palm Springs Pride event—an apt setting for a play that makes acceptance personal, messy and frequently funny.

Performances begin at 7 p.m. Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets, including fees, cost $46 for adults and $20 for students; group discounts are available.

Palm Canyon Theatre is at 538 N. Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs. For reservations, call 760-323-5123 or visit palmcanyontheatre.org.