Revolution Stage Company
Palm Springs, CA
Cockroaches, now receiving its world premiere at Revolution Stage Company in Palm Springs, is not the kind of play one should reduce to a neat little summary. That would rob the audience of the very thing that matters most: the journey.
Written by Emma Schillage and directed by Emerson Collins, Cockroaches is a Southern Gothic dark comedy that crawls through family trauma, survival, inherited damage, and the kind of baggage people do not simply escape. If you know Tennessee Williams or Flannery O’Connor, you will recognize the terrain: the heat, the rot, the humor, the cruelty, the things said in rooms where everyone already knows too much. If you do not know those writers, that may be even better. Just sit back and take the ride.
The play follows three sisters inside the decaying remains of their childhood home after their mother’s latest suicide attempt. But that description barely scratches the surface. There is comedy here, and there is horror. There are monsters, both literal and emotional. There are moments when laughter arrives before you have time to decide whether laughing is appropriate. I found myself laughing out loud more than once, though I am not sure the rest of the audience always knew they were allowed to. That is the nature of dark humor. Sometimes it is not polite. Sometimes it is the only honest response left.
What stayed with me after leaving the theater was not one clear answer, but a feeling. This is a play about the things we survive, the things we inherit, and the things we know but wish we did not. I do not know whether the play is autobiographical, and I would not assume that it is. But there is a lived-in reality to these characters that gives the writing weight. The real monster of the story is so well written and so effectively performed that it made my skin crawl.
The two performances that most clearly held the production together were Casey Williams as Charlie and Mat Hayes as Mr. Sam. Both actors seemed fully inside the world of the play. They were not indicating the characters; they were owning them. That kind of ease usually comes from experience, instinct, and trust in the material. Their roles also feel more fully drawn, which gives both performers room to land their moments with greater force.
Leilani Baldwin as Sissy, Fatima Reyes as Jenny, and April Mejia as Momma are all more than capable in their roles. If their characters feel less fully explored at times, I am inclined to believe that may be part of Schillage’s intention. In a play like this, imbalance can be a design choice. Families do not distribute pain evenly. Some people dominate the room. Others survive by becoming smaller inside it.
No production exists in a vacuum. Every play changes depending on the theater, the director, the cast, the budget, the community, and the people willing to take the risk of bringing it to life. That matters here. Cockroaches won the 2024 Best Play Award in the Del Shores Foundation Writers Search, and Schillage selected Revolution Stage Company from among five theater partners to produce the world premiere. That is not just a booking. For a young Palm Springs theater working to build new audiences and support new work, it is a statement of trust.
Revolution Stage Company describes itself as a nonprofit theater committed to affordable, high-quality entertainment and to helping Palm Springs become a true theater destination. That mission matters because productions like this do not happen by accident. They require writers, actors, directors, producers, designers, theater owners, donors, and audiences willing to show up. Theater is collaboration made visible.
As a reviewer, I do not believe my job is to retell the story in miniature. That turns art into a pile of information and leaves out the texture, timing, discomfort, humor, and surprise that make live theater matter. If you leave Cockroaches scratching your head, do not worry. Your mind may keep scratching until the epiphany lands. And that may be the play’s greatest strength. The best art does not always explain itself immediately. Sometimes it follows you home.
Production Acknowledgment
This world premiere production of Cockroaches is brought to life by playwright Emma Schillage and director Emerson Collins, with a cast featuring Leilani Baldwin (Sissy), Mat Hayes (Mr. Sam), April Mejia (Momma), Fatima Reyes (Jenny), and Casey Williams (Charlie). The production is presented by Revolution Stage Company, founded by Gary Powers (Founder/Producing Partner) and James Owens (Founder/Production Manager), whose leadership and vision continue to support new works and emerging voices in the Coachella Valley theater community.
Cockroaches runs at Revolution Stage Company, 611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 16, Palm Springs, through May 3, 2026.
Tickets are available through Revolution Stage Company and its On The Stage ticketing page.
About the Author
D. Wesley Spencer, Ph.D ch©., is a writer, actor, director, arts educator, and He is the co-author of Universal Creative Intelligence: How the Arts and Sciences Propel Human Advancement, a book exploring how creative thinking shapes learning, leadership, and human progress.
He teaches communication at College of the Desert. Wesley brings a lifelong passion for theater and storytelling to every review he writes. As a columnist for The Palm Springs Tribune, Wesley covers theater, concerts, film, dining, local talent, and cultural events throughout the Coachella Valley. His reviews are known for their warmth, clarity, and deep respect for the power of the arts and the artists and communities they serve. Wesley Spencer @ 2026 All rights Reserved
Images provided by Revolution Stage Company. All rights reserved.
Wesley@universalcreativeintelligence.com
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