On Jan. 28, the University of Utah’s Department of Theatre premiered “The Book Club Play,” written by Karen Zacarías and directed by Penelope Marantz-Caywood, at Babcock Theatre. The play followed a group of book club members and long-time friends as they become subjects of a documentary film.

Book club meetings start being recorded by an automatic camera capturing everything — the good, the bad and the ugly in all its complexity. From tested friendships to budding romance, everything takes place in a single living room. Full of soul and energy, “The Book Club Play” confronted the complexity and hope of human connection, remaining deeply aware of what really matters — the pursuit of community. 

It’s Complicated

Things were not always easy for the book-mates when the camera was turned on them. Each member — Ana (Victoria Arlofski), Lily (Favour Bright-Agindotan), Rob (Dylan Burningham), Will (Tristian Osborne), Jen (Niki Rahimi) and Alex (Amona Faatau) — was passionate and invested in their own way. Quickly, the safe fun of book club was turned upside down as they confronted difficult questions. Why has the group never read a book written by a person of color? Can we judge a book, or person, by their cover? What makes something real literature? What does it mean to be cultured?

“The Book Club Play” transformed the image of an innocent book club into a nuanced reflection on the messiness of human relationships. While the characters found community through the club, they also found exclusion. When Alex wanted to join, some members were opposed just because they hadn’t thoroughly vetted him as a member.

Even when the characters had the best intentions, they had blind spots of ignorance. The play was aware of just how easy it can be to harm our valued communities if we don’t pay close enough attention to how our own beliefs impact them.    

Real People, Real Connections

The troupe of book-mates was pushed to its limit — ruckus made in the living room, a vase about to be thrown, full-grown adult friends about to attack one another. Was all of this worth it? Was Ana’s choice to accept a camera into her home to document the book club, prompting their newfound problems, the right one? Well, it’s complicated. One thing is for sure, at the end of it all, no matter the mess, there is hope and a chance to reconcile community, to ensure that whatever challenges we face we always have the chance to connect again. 

Books have the power to bring us together. They challenge us but also provide us with moments of realization that can change our lives. Like the way they helped Will realize he was gay, or Rob discover the spark of passion he was missing in life. What “The Book Club Play” does for its characters, theatre does for us. As an audience we are in our own kind of book club, given the opportunity to join up in our metaphorical living room, feeling everything, together. 

“The Book Club Play” runs through Feb. 6 at Babcock Theatre. To purchase tickets, visit the Department of Theatre’s website. To access the list of books featured in the play for your next reading adventure, visit the “The Book Club Play” website.

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