The Book Club Play contains all the elements you might look for in a good book; drama, comedy, social commentary, romance. It touches on all the qualities of the books it’s characters read. But above all, it’s a comedy, one that draws much of it’s humor from the best possible well, that of character. The play is written by Karen Zacarias, whose ability to create characters that can be summed up as a type, but then refuse to be simply that character’s tagline. This is my second exposure to this play by Zacharias. The first was a couple of years back at Theater in the Round and it was a favorite, in fact my wife loved it so much she went back with a group of friends to see it again. This production was just as enjoyable and I’m thrilled to highly recommend it! This is the sort of play that I like to recommend for couples who don’t get out to the theater often or as a great night out with a group of friends. The type of show where there is no way you’re not going to leave the theatre saying “we should go to the theater more often that was really fun!”

Ana is a Type A personality who lives in a letter-perfect world with an adoring husband, the perfect job, and her greatest passion: Book Club. But when her cherished group becomes the focus of a documentary film, their intimate discussions about life and literature take a turn for the hilarious in front of the inescapable camera lens. Add a provocative new member along with some surprising new book titles, and these six friends are bound for pandemonium.”

plot summary From the Theatre in the Round Website

That’s basically all you need to know of the plot because the humor and heart of the play comes from the characters and their relationships. Lakeshore players has gathered a very talented group of actors who know how to bring Zacarias complex characters to life, always avoiding making them into caricatures. With 7 actors appearing on stage and all of them so good it’s hard to choose who to highlight. What I noticed most about the ensemble was the way they genuinely seemed to be listening to each other. They were exceptionally good at showing us their character’s thoughts and feelings when the attention wasn’t on them. A great example is Mitch Kiecker’s portrayal of Rob, Ana’s husband. Ana played by Laura Knobel is frequently seeking the spotlight or the one holding court. It was fascinating to watch Kiecker at these times and how natural and in the moment he appeared at those times. If I had to choose a favorite it would either be Lewis Youngren who plays William or Katie Rowles-Perich who plays Alex. William co founded the Book Club and was Ana’s first romance and Rob’s roommate back in college. William plays him humorously immaculate, and his line reading when he makes a revelation in the second Act is uproariously funny. Rowles-Perich plays an interloper to the book club that Ana sees as a threat to her perfectly curated group of people. Rowles-Perich blows through the book club like a breath of fresh air and full of intelligent insites. Her reactions to the group in many ways mirror our own.

One of the little touches that I love about this script is these inter scenes between book club meetings where Erika Soukup performs as different characters giving testimonials. Director Jess Yates stages these brief little bits cleverly, even having one of them off to the side on a wall above some of the audience. Sarah Brandner’s set design is perfectly suited to the play with the audience placed where the Documentary’s camera would be. The Book Club Play runs through March 23rd at Lakeshore Players in White Bear Lake. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.lakeshoreplayers.org/bookclubplay-season-72-1

*Portions of this review come from my previous review of the play.

Now more than ever in the wake of the most recent election and the hailstorm of stupidity and hate it has unleashed, Theater companies need you and we need them. Buy tickets to shows go out and support work that reflects diversity and inclusiveness. Donate to your favorite theater companies, don’t wait until they are on the brink of shutting down. We all need to stand up and fight for our Theaters whose funding is under attack for promoting inclusion, equality and diversity.

Tired of missing reviews from The Stages of MN? Do you find yourself left out when all your friends are talking about that great new play that you didn’t even know about? Never fear, that need never happen again. Now you too can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. No more hoping the algorithm works in your favor and you actually see a post on facebook or Instagram. No relying on so-called friends to tip you to the best shows in town. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn.