Need a Laugh-Out-Loud Comedy? See Arvada Center's The Book Club Play

"The greatest joy coming out of the pandemic shutdown was the first time I directed a comedy and listened to that rolling sound that laughter makes in a theater," says Arvada Center artistic director Lynne Collins. "I missed that communal sharing of experiences. I’m a big believer in tender teaching, and I don’t like to program finger-wagging plays. I just don’t think that’s how we build community; sharing laughter is an opening for a conversation."

And what better setting for a conversation than in a living room at a book club meeting? The next show in the Arvada Center's season is The Book Club Play, by Latina playwright Karen Zacarías. When a documentary filmmaker shows up to record a book club's conversation about literature, secrets are spilled and truths are told in this biting comedy directed by Collins.

Zacarías's script is jam-packed with references across literary genres, from Moby Dick to Twilight, and pokes fun at the divide between "high" and "popular" art. Starring the same repertory cast as the Arvada Center's current production of Our Town, The Book Club Play explores the power of stories to open people's hearts and minds.

"Every single person is changed by books," says Collins. "Whether you find enrichment in Age of Innocence or The Da Vinci Code, all stories have the power to change minds. The Book Club Play asks these really salient questions about art and why some people equate popular with bad. In the midst of this hilarious comedy that is basically a farce, Zacarías includes this thoughtful conversation about what we read and why."

Collins was drawn to Zacarías's style after seeing her play Native Gardens at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in 2018. Moved by the show's writing, Collins began to explore some of Zacarías's previous work and stumbled across The Book Club Play, which premiered at the Round House Theatre in 2008.

"I like that the writing is funny but not mean-spirited," says Collins. "Personally, I prefer kind comedies because I’m weary of sarcasm and cynicism; they're just not my jam. Zacarías really knows how to write a joke, which is a rare skill, and has crafted a laugh-out-loud narrative that includes more depth than audiences might expect from a comedy."

Much of the play's comedy comes from the awkwardness that arises when Ana Smith, a Type-A book club leader played by Diana Dresser, invites a new person, Alex, a comparative literature professor played by Lavour Addison, to join her club. But when Alex begins to challenge the group's conventions, Ana is forced to examine her values and what types of art she prioritizes.

"I like that the playwright is unafraid to poke at, in a loving way, these topics that make us uncomfortable," says Dresser. "And, after the events of the past few years, I feel we are able to facilitate a whole different level of conversations from when the play was originally written. There has been a lot of laughing [during rehearsals] that we won’t be doing when we open. This show is a nice contrast to Our Town, which is beautiful but weighs heavily on us; The Book Club Play is this lovely story that has depth but is hilarious.

"It has been a great collaborative process in which we are all trying to make it more alive," she adds. "How do we make the audience fall in love with our characters when they are full of flaws? None of the characters in The Book Club Play are caricatures; they are well-meaning human beings trying to do their best and failing. Even when things go badly, this is a great group of friends and distributors who are all wonderfully human."

Dresser describes her character, Ana, as a "Martha Stewart type," an incredibly intelligent social climber who has married well and likes to be in control. Ana has a very rigid idea of the purpose of their book club, which is more about appearing enlightened than actually being exposed to new ideas.

"Ana finds out that a lot of what she thinks she is — hip, open-minded, woke and in control — is not true," says Dresser. "This is a humbling story for her in many ways, and there is a wonderful clown aspect to Ana's endeavors. She is constantly trying to get the discussion under control, but from the very first scene, she is flailing. Ana means so well, but can be kind of clueless."

Addison, who plays Alex, says the main challenge of the rehearsal process was trying to be as funny as his fellow cast members on a more condensed timetable. "My wife just had a baby, which reduced a lot of the prep work I normally do before we start," Addison explains. "However, it was nice to just find it in the room with the other actors because they are so good. Diana Dresser, Matt Zambrano and Kate Gleason, to name a few, are joys to watch; they make new choices in every run. My mind constantly goes between trying to make my characters' objectives clear and getting my performance to match their level of skill. It's great to be in the room with them, as seeing their work makes me want to try to elevate mine."

Addison's character enters the play halfway through, and changes the established power structure of the book club. "Alex is the good ole deus ex machina," says Addison. "You could say that because of his entrance, the play takes a left turn through fields that were not plowed. I had a rocky start finding Alex within myself. Now, I see him as the love child of Mr. Turner from Boy Meets World and Coach Taylor from Friday Night Lights, with sprinkles of Maui from Moana."

Thanks to strong advance sales, The Book Club Play has very little ticket inventory left for the duration of its run. "We are nearly sold out and have already surpassed our projections by a considerable amount," says Collins. "The box office suspects we are getting a lot of real-world book clubs buying up tickets, and comedies always sell well, so if this sounds interesting, you should book tickets now. In repertory theater, because of its fixed schedule, we can’t add performances once they sell out." 

The production team is eager for crowds to be immersed in the play's antics and the ridiculousness of the show's broad comedy.

"In a time when the country is so divided, it's great to have an event with people of different walks of life coming to the same space and being able to laugh together," Addison says. "It should be a great night out on the town, where you can look back and think of the books that made an impact on your life — or didn't make an impact. Overall, I just hope people take away just a fun time at the theater."

The Book Club Play, Friday, March 17, through Thursday, May 18, various times, Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada. Find tickets, starting at $45, and more information at arvadacenter.org.