By Cari Lynn Pace
No sacred cows were spared for this bestseller! What a pleasure to see a clever new show brimming with witty dialogue and spot-on casting! Ross Valley Players has a winner with this comedy, ably directed by Mary Ann Rodgers, on a comfy living room set designed by Ron Krempetz and built by Michael Walraven.
“…a hilarious … slice of Americana.”
The Book Club Play is Karen Zacarias’ hilarious expose of another American staple: the book club. The author of multiple award-winning plays, Zacarias accurately and humorously captures social dis-harmony with blatantly biting truth.
Laughter is a hallmark of many of her plays’ continuing successes, and this one is no exception. The set-up of The Book Club Play reveals egocentric tensions and ridiculous banter when five friends gather to discuss their impressions of a recently read book. The kicker is that the entire evening meeting, a social connection, is filmed remotely by a camera. The participants have signed waivers acknowledging that their meeting is destined to be edited for a forthcoming documentary on book clubs. The documentary director is famous, so they are excited that their images might become an award-winning movie. Or maybe a play. Go figure!
No spoilers here, but one can guess that there are conversations and interactions that the participants reluctantly realize are taped by the all-seeing eye. Can these sections be expunged? And why does the famous unseen director refer to the filming as “juicy?”
The dialog is sharp and fast-paced. Many sacred cows are spared.
Nothing is safe from the camera’s eye…sex, idiocy, religion, gender, color, superiority, or class. It’s a cornucopia of hot topics on display as only a witty comedy writer can present. Laugh out loud, and enjoy the interaction tremendously. This reviewer certainly did!
RVP gathered the perfect mix of great actors for this show, starting with Elena Wright as Ana, the uptight, in-control organizer, and her husband Rob (Mark Vashro) as the one who would rather see the movie than read the book. Matthew Travisano, Jannely Calmell, and Chiyako Delores are the regulars who join them. Their facial expressions are worth the price of admission. Gabriel A. Ross joins in Act II as Alex, an interloper who provokes questions while being vetted for club admission.
Scene changes bring Marsha van Broek to the wing of the stage. She poses as various spoof characters, extrapolating topics the club members discuss. With a video screen and much laughter, it’s a clever way to darken the stage while keeping the audience entertained.
Make The Book Club Play your required reading—err, viewing—at the Barn Theater.
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ASR Senior Writer & Editor Cari Lynn Pace is a voting member of SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle and writes theatre and lifestyle reviews for the Marinscope Community Newspapers throughout Marin County.
| Production | The Book Club Play |
|---|---|
| Written by | Karen Zacarias |
| Directed by | Mary Ann Rodgers |
| Producing Company | Ross Valley Players |
| Production Dates | Thru June 9th |
| Production Address | Ross Valley Players "The Barn" 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Greenbrae, CA 94904 |
| Website | www.rossvalleyplayers.com |
| Telephone | 415-456-9555 ext. 1 |
| Tickets | $20-$35 |
| Reviewer Score | Max in each category is 5/5 |
| Overall | 4.5/5.0 |
| Performance | 4.5/5.0 |
| Script | 4.5/5.0 |
| Stagecraft | 4/5.0 |
| Aisle Seat Review PICK? | YES! |