Lily Rabe on 'Other Desert Cities' and Family Dynamics

Lily Rabe is returning to the Broadway stage in the highly anticipated production of "Other Desert Cities," a play by Jon Robin Baitz that delves into complex family secrets. The play, which officially opens Oct. 18 at the Hudson Theatre, features a star-studded cast including Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ed Harris, Allison Janney, and Joe Keery.

Rabe plays Brooke, a writer whose memoir triggers a cascade of buried family history. This marks her return to Broadway after an 11-year absence from the Delacorte Theater and 14 years since her last Broadway show, "Seminar."

"I have a sort of insatiable appetite for work," Rabe said in a recent interview. "Right now, I do feel very sated."

A Family Affair

Creativity appears to be in Rabe's DNA. She is the daughter of the late Oscar-nominated actress Jill Clayburgh and Tony Award-winning playwright David Rabe. "My dad is a really smart guy," Rabe shared. "He did not have a fancy upbringing at all. But he had a love of language and determination."

Her mother, who passed away in 2010, is remembered by Rabe as "an incredible mother" who was "always leaning in and leaning forward. She had no regrets."

Rabe's own career has spanned theater and screen, with notable roles in "American Horror Story" and Shakespeare in the Park productions. She also recently co-directed the film "Downtown Owl" with Ed Harris, who also stars in "Other Desert Cities."

Back in New York

After years of being based in Los Angeles or living a bicoastal life, Rabe has returned to Manhattan full-time with her partner, actor Hamish Linklater, and their four children. "It's my favorite city in the world," she said. "I'm close to the theater again, whether that means doing plays or going to see them."

She met Linklater through her mother in 2006. The couple, who parent six children together (including his from a previous relationship), navigate their busy lives with what Rabe describes as "a constant state of doing a circus juggle."

Thematic Resonance

"Other Desert Cities" explores the intricate dynamics within a politically conservative family. Rabe finds the play's examination of how close relationships can be the most challenging to understand particularly compelling.

"Often the greatest mysteries of our life are from what's closest to us — and that's our families," Rabe reflected. "I find that to be a harrowing idea. And compelling. And exhilarating."

Rehearsals for the play have deepened her connection with her castmates. "I feel it with every single one of them in ways I can't explain. You don't really want to explain it. You just feel it."