Palm Springs Speaks unveils four-speaker lineup for season seven, starting Dec. 16

The Friends of the Palm Springs Library announced the lineup for Palm Springs Speaks seventh season last week. The series features four speakers who will appear at the Plaza Theatre in Downtown Palm Springs starting next month.

Actor and director Rob Reiner will appear Dec. 16, followed by actor, comedian and Chicano art advocate Cheech Marin on Feb. 10. Author and journalist Wade Rouse will appear in conversation with Steven Rowley on Feb. 24, and genetic genealogist CeCe Moore will close the season March 30. All events begin at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets for Reiner’s December program went on sale Friday and are available here starting at $120. The remaining three programs will be available for purchase beginning Nov. 21 at 12 p.m. Tickets will be sold through Ticketmaster on the Plaza Theatre website.

Rob Reiner to open season

Reiner won two Emmy Awards for his role in the television series “All In The Family” before becoming a director of films including “This Is Spinal Tap,” “Stand By Me,” “The Princess Bride,” “When Harry Met Sally,” “Misery,” “A Few Good Men,” “The American President,” “Ghosts of Mississippi” and “The Bucket List.” He recently directed the Emmy-nominated documentary “Albert Brooks: Defending my Life” and “The End Continues,” the sequel to “This is Spinal Tap.”

As a political activist, Reiner passed a tobacco tax initiative in California to fund early childhood development and chaired the state commission overseeing its implementation. In 2008, he helped form The American Foundation For Equal Rights, which led to marriage equality nationwide. A pre-event VIP reception will be hosted at the Frank Sinatra Twin Palms Estate, with limited tickets available.

Cheech Marin to discuss Chicano art

Marin is recognized as one half of the comedy duo Cheech and Chong, and has appeared in more than 20 films, including “Tin Cup” and eight Robert Rodriguez movies. He appeared earlier this year with Jennifer Lopez in “Shotgun Wedding” and in “Champions” with Woody Harrelson.

Marin is also a preeminent advocate for Chicano art. In the mid-1980s, he began developing what is now considered one of the finest private collections of Chicano art. Much of it formed the core of his inaugural exhibition “Chicano Visions: American Painters on the Verge,” which broke attendance records during its 15-city tour from 2001 to 2007 at major art museums across the United States.

“Chicano art is American art,” Marin said. “My goal is to bring the term ‘Chicano’ to the forefront of the art world.”

The collection now serves as the core of The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum, which opened in June 2022. Details about the pre-event VIP reception will be announced soon.

Wade Rouse in conversation with Steven Rowley

Rouse is the author of 21 books, including five memoirs, 13 novels and three holiday novellas. His books have been translated into nearly 30 languages and have been bestsellers worldwide. His novels “The Secret of Snow,” “The Clover Girls” and “A Wish for Winter” have been optioned for film and television.

He will discuss his latest book, “That’s What Friends Are For,” which will be released March 3, 2026. The novel is inspired by the classic television sitcom “The Golden Girls” and marks the first novel under Rouse’s own name.

Rouse will be in conversation with Steven Rowley, the New York Times bestselling author of “Lily and the Octopus,” “The Editor,” “The Guncle,” “The Celebrants” and “The Guncle Abroad.”

CeCe Moore to close season

Moore is a pioneer in the field of genetic genealogy. Through collaboration with hundreds of investigative agencies across all 50 states and several other countries, she has led the Parabon Genetic Genealogy Team to more than 350 successful identifications of violent criminal suspects and unidentified decedents since 2018.

For 11 seasons, she has worked as the DNA expert on the PBS documentary television series “Finding Your Roots” with Henry Louis Gates Jr., analyzing the DNA of hundreds of high-profile guests.

Sponsors of the series include The Friends of the Palm Springs Library, The City of Palm Springs, Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs, LuLu California Bistro, Palm Springs Unified School District Foundation, The Palm Springs Cultural Center and Follett.

Pre-event VIP tickets available for some events include a private reception, photo opportunity, premium seating and a book. For more information about the speaker series or sponsorship opportunities, visit palmspringsspeaks.org.

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