In a play opening in Vicksburg tonight, Polly and Lyman Wyeth are in an uproar when their daughter Brooke returns home from a six-year absence with plans to publish her memoirs and dredge up dark family secrets.

“The young woman has written a book of her memoirs and her family isn’t excited about it because a deep dark secret is revealed,” Jack Burns said.

Burns is the founder of the Westside Theatre Foundation, and he will be directing the group’s upcoming performance of “Other Desert Cities,” which opens tonight at the Strand Theatre.

The play takes place in Palm Springs on Christmas Eve 2004 and is described as a “heavy drama” by cast members.

“It has some funny lines too,” said Stacie Schrader, who is cast as Brooke.

“Other Desert Cities” focuses on whether or not Brooke should publish her memoirs, which stands to reopen an emotional wound the family suffered.

“Thirty years earlier life was rough for the family, and they don’t want to go through it again,” Burns said, adding the theme of the play is timeless.

“While the key events of the play took place decades ago, the theme is current to today’s struggles,” he said.

Jon Robin Baitz wrote “Other Desert Cities”, which was a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for drama.

Currently there are more than 20 productions of the show being offered throughout the U.S., Burns said.

“It’s not a well-known show in this part of the country, but the play is well known nationally,” he said.

“We picked this project because we were all interested in the subject matter and the family dynamics in the play,” Burns said.

“I saw the play at New Stage and it was wonderful,” Schrader said.

“Other Desert Cities” is geared for a mature audience and children will not be permitted, Burns said.

Along with Burns, who will play the patriarch of the family — Lyman Wyeth and Schrader, cast members include Linda Hadala, who will play Polly, Jim Biedenbach, who is cast at the couple’s son Trip and Heather Williams, who will play Silda, Polly Wyeth’s ultra-liberal, newly sober sister.

Performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. at 717 Clay St. and will continue Friday, Saturday and May 1. Admission is $10 and tickets are available at the door and the Highway 61 Coffeehouse, 1101 Washington St.

For more information, call 601-301-3158.