Everyman Theatre Invites You to Celebrate Friendship and Laughter with The Book Club Play
A Hilarious and Heartfelt Comedy for Book Lovers and The People Who Love Them
Onstage March 17- April 14, 2024
(Baltimore, MD.) Get ready to dive into the world of literature, laughter, and friendship with the Baltimore premiere of The Book Club Play. A delightful comedy that invites audiences to join in the fun of a quirky book club with a twist.
The Book Club Play follows the story of Ana, a devoted book club leader, and her eclectic group of friends who become the subject of a legendary documentarian. All appears to be going as planned until an unexpected new member throws the group’s dynamic into chaos. With relatable characters and witty dialogue, this play explores the power of literature to bring people together and the joy of sharing stories. Whether you’re a bookworm, a theatre enthusiast, or simply looking for a night of laughter and entertainment, The Book Club Play will deliver.
Written by, A popular DC-based playwright, Karen Zacarías, The Book Club Play had its World Premiere at Bethesda’s Roundhouse Theatre 2009), a revised production at DC’s Arena Stage (2011), and continues to be produced all across the country. This production, directed by Laura Kepley (Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery), promises to bring the story to life with wit, humor, and the joy of community.
“We have two brilliant women taking the helm this Women’s History Month with Karen and Laura,” says Managing Director, Marissa LaRose. “Karen has crafted a delightful modern comedy with just enough zany moments to catch us off-guard and under Laura’s masterful direction of this brilliant, majority Resident Company, cast, audiences are in for a feel-good funny time in the theatre. The Book Club Play is full of interpersonal hijinks, literature love, and all the “speakeasy” characteristics of the common book clubs. Tickets are flying and we already have so many book clubs attending the show together!”
Everyman’s production of The Book Club Play features Resident Company Members Megan Anderson (Dial M For Murder) as Jennifer McClintock, Tony Nam (Dial M for Murder) as William Lee Nothnagel, Bruce Randolph Nelson (A Doll’s House) as Pundit, Tuyết Thị Phạm (The Chinese Lady) as Ana Smith, and Zack Powell (The Sound Inside) as Alex. Completing the cast are Steve Polites (Everything is Wonderful) as Robert Novum Smith, and making her Everyman debut, Majenta
Thomas as Lily Louise Jackson. In addition to Kepley, the creative team consists of Andrew Cohen (Set Design), David Burdick (Costume Design), Juan Juarez (Lighting Design), Adam Mendelson (Sound Design), Kelly Colburn (Projection Design), Lewis Shaw (Fights, Intimacy, and FX), and Denise O’Brien (Wig Design). Cat Wallis will serve as Stage Manager.
“I am thrilled to be working with Everyman and its Resident Company again. It feels great to be working on a play about friends with a group of actors who are close friends,” states Kepley. “Their seamless collaboration, strong chemistry, and familial bond creates a sense of authenticity and depth in every performance. We invite you to join us in celebrating the joy of reading and the magic of live theater.”
FUN FACT:
See the full list here
The characters in the play read several recognizable works of fiction, as Zacarías weaves over 30 titles(!) into her dialogue.
The Book Club Play
Written by Karen Zacarías
Directed by Laura Kepley
March 17, 2024 – April 14, 2024
Recommended for ages 12 and up.
Tickets are on sale now HERE or by calling 410.752.2208. Standard box office hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10am until 4pm, and Saturdays from 12pm until 4pm.
SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES
- TNT: Theatre Night for Teens: Sunday, March 17, 5:30PM. (Performance at 7pm) Students in grades 9-12 are invited to the ultimate social event with peers and artists from the show. Tickets are $20 and include dinner, dessert, and conversation with artists pre and post-show. https://everymantheatre.org/event/tnt/
- Pay-What-You-Choose Performance: Sunday, March 17, 7:00PM Come celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at the theatre when we open our doors to the public to watch the final dress rehearsal. ALL 250 SEATS ARE GENERAL ADMISSION and are filled on a first-come-first serve basis. https://everymantheatre.org/plays-events/events/pay-what-you-choose/
- Preview Week: Tues-Thurs, March 19/20/21, 7:30PM Be among those to get a first look at the world of The Book Club Play during one of our three Preview performances. Seats start at $29, with pay-what-you-choose seats also available for every performance!
- Childcare Matinee: Sunday, April 7, 2:00PM In-house childcare is available, allowing you to enjoy the show confident that your children are well looked after. Perfect for children ages 3-12. https://everymantheatre.org/event/childcare-matinees/
- Midweek Matinee Wednesday, March 27, 1:00PM Looking for a fun, midday outing to the theatre? Our doors open 90-minutes before showtime and you’re welcome to bring lunch to enjoy on our mezzanine before the show! (Matinee available on Saturday and Sunday at 2pm.)
- Cast Conversations Thursday, April 4, (post performance): Stay after the performance and meet the cast in a 30 minute facilitated talk-back.
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
The Book Club Play, the sold-out world premiere drama Just Like Us (adapted from the book by Helen Thorpe) at Denver Theater Center, the Steinberg –citation award play Legacy of Light, the Francesca Primus Award winning play Mariela in the Desert, the Helen Hayes Award-winning play The Sins of Sor Juana, the adaptation of Julia Alvarez’s How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents. Her TYA musicals with composer Debbie Wicks la Puma include Jane of the Jungle, Einstein is A Dummy, Looking for Roberto Clemente, Cinderella Eats Rice and Beans, Ferdinand The Bull, and Frida Libre. Her musical Chasing George Washington premiered at The Kennedy Center for Performing Arts and went on a National Tour. Her script was then adapted into a book by Scholastic with a foreword by First Lady Michelle Obama.
Karen is currently working on the adaptation of Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence, a drama for Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and a Brazilian themed Oliver Twist musical: Oliverio: A Brazilian Twist On Dickens for the Kennedy Center. Her libretto of The Sun Also Rises for the Washington Ballet received accolades in the New York Times and she is currently writing the libretto for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow with Washington Ballet artistic Director Septime Webre. She is proud to be currently commissioned to write new plays for Arena Stage, Cincinnati Playhouse, Ford’s Theater, Adventure Theater, and First Stage.
ABOUT EVERYMAN THEATRE
Everyman Theatre is a professional Equity theatre company celebrating the actor, with a Resident Company of Artists from the Baltimore/DC area. Everyman Theatre is conveniently located in the heart of Baltimore City in the historic Bromo Arts and Entertainment District, near the corner of Fayette and Eutaw Street and steps away from the historic Lexington Market. Founded in 1990 by Vincent M. Lancisi, the theatre’s mission is to provide transformative experiences through professional theatre that are welcoming, relevant, and affordable to everyone. With the values of people, community, and excellence at the core of
its programming and operations, Everyman is dedicated to meaningful connections between artists and audiences both on-stage and off, while creating opportunities to sustain artists that are local to the Baltimore/Washington D. C. area. Lancisi partners with Managing Director Marissa LaRose in leading the organization in diverse, equitable, and inclusive storytelling, which is vital to living up to the name, Everyman Theatre.
The 2023/2024 Lead Corporate Partner for Everyman Theatre is Gallagher, Evelius & Jones, LLP. Everyman Theatre is supported in part by grants from Mayor Brandon M. Scott, Baltimore City, and The Mayor’s Office of Recovery, The Maryland State Arts Council (msac.org), The Citizens of Baltimore County, The Shubert Foundation, and the Paul M. Angell Foundation.
Everyman Theatre stands in solidarity with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and AAPI (Americans and Pacific Islanders) communities and is committed to an equitable, diverse, and inclusive atmosphere at every level of our organization.