Review: The Book Club Play

Review: The Book Club Play | Vintage Theatre | Aurora, CO | Curtain Up! | Eric Fitzgerald

Now in its 198th production, Vintage Theatre turns the Bond‑Trimble Theatre into a battleground of opinions, loyalties, and literary snobbery with Karen Zacarías’ The Book Club Play, directed by Brendan T. Cochran. What begins as a tidy gathering of well‑read friends quickly unravels into a sharply funny, two‑act romp about the stories we cling to and the personas we perform. Cochran’s production leans into the play’s buoyant humor and social satire, giving the ensemble room to spark, collide, and delight as their beloved book club becomes the most entertaining disaster in town.

Before it became a staple of regional theatres across the country, The Book Club Play first charmed audiences at Washington, D.C.’s Round House Theatre, later receiving a polished 2011 production at Arena Stage—though Broadway never claimed it. Its creator, Karen Zacarías, has become one of the most produced playwrights in America, a writer whose comic instincts and cultural acuity have fueled hits like Native Gardens, Destiny of Desire, Legacy of Light, and her stage adaptation of How the García Girls Lost Their Accents. Zacarías delights in placing ordinary people under extraordinary (and often hilarious) pressure, and this play—where a seemingly harmless book club becomes a powder keg of ego, affection, and literary one‑upmanship—fits squarely within her spirited, crowd‑pleasing canon.

At the center of the story is Ana, pronounced Ah-nah (Katie Medved), the impeccably controlled book‑club host whose perfectly curated world begins to wobble as her husband Robert (Joshua Lamb) coasts through meetings with cheerful obliviousness. Their long-time friend Will (Marcus Turner) arrives armed with fierce opinions and even fiercer loyalties, while the newly invited Lily (Shanae Adams) brings a spark that unsettles the group’s familiar rhythms. Jennifer (Min Kyung “Cecillia” Kim), the club’s earnest traditionalist, clings to decorum even as tensions rise. But everything shifts when the group agrees—some more willingly than others—to let famed documentarian Lars Knutson film their meetings. The arrival of Alex (Austin Cohen), a somewhat shy newcomer, only heightens the pressure, and soon the club’s polite literary chatter unravels into rivalry, revelation, and deliciously spiraling chaos, exposing far more about Ana, Rob, Will, Lily, Jennifer, and Alex than any of them ever intended to share on camera.

Zacarías’ script is undeniably funny, and it plays even more buoyantly onstage; under Brendan T. Cochran’s direction, this production is thoroughly engaging, its humor landing with ease, and the ensemble clearly enjoying the ride. Yet the evening unfolds at a largely uniform tempo, as if the production settles into one comfortable gear and stays there. The play offers several moments where the emotional undercurrents could accelerate, decelerate, or shift tone to deepen the arc, but instead the action moves forward on a single, steady track. It remains an amusing and often very funny performance, but a greater variety of rhythmic turns would give the comedy—and the characters—more room to surprise.

At the center of The Book Club Play, Katie Medved anchors the production with a taut, sharply etched performance as Ana, the “hostess with the mostess” whose grip on order tightens as the club begins to wobble. Opposite her, Joshua Lamb brings an easy, affable charm to Robert, the former college jock who would much rather dodge the assigned reading than dive into it. His laid‑back energy plays neatly against Medved’s precision, giving their scenes a gentle comic friction that underscores the play’s central tensions.

L to R: Katie Medved as Ana and Joshua Lamb as Robert | Photo credit: RDG Photography

Marcus Turner brings an appealing mix of confidence and vulnerability to Will, whose surprising mid‑play revelation lands as both comic and quietly life‑affirming. Min Kyung “Cecillia” Kim is appropriately droll as Jennifer, her dry delivery cutting through the group’s escalating theatrics with well‑timed understatement. Shanae Adams, as newcomer Lily, stirs the pot with their earnest, politically correct worldview, nudging the club into fresh—and often uncomfortable—territory. And Austin Cohn’s arrival as Alex is a genuine breath of fresh air; he plays the outsider with such openhearted sincerity that his presence gently reorients the group, giving the play a welcome jolt of vulnerability.

L to R: Joshua Lamb, Marcus Turner, Austin Cohen, Shanae Adams, Katie Medved, and Min Kyung “Cecillia” Kim | Photography credit: RDG Photography

Lexi Renfro’s scenic design makes an impressive impact in the intimate Bond‑Trimble Theatre; Renfro has crafted a well‑appointed living room for Ana and Robert that stretches from end to end of the space, allowing the action to unfold up close and with an inviting sense of immediacy. A video display at the rear of the set further anchors time and place, offering subtle cues that frame the book club’s shifting dynamics. Jonathan Underwood’s contemporary costumes suit each character’s personality and social posture, reinforcing their quirks and contradictions without ever overstating the point. Emily Maddox’s crisp lighting design keeps the focus sharp throughout, highlighting shifts in mood and conversation with an unobtrusive clarity that supports the production’s comic rhythm.

Karen Zacarías’ play, The Book Club Play,  remains a consistently witty piece of writing, and Vintage’s production embraces that spirit with an appealing, good‑humored ease. Even with some slightly underdeveloped staging choices, the show’s charm ultimately wins out, buoyed by the ensemble’s commitment to the comedy and the script’s sharp observations about friendship, ego, and the stories we tell. It’s engaging summer fare—bright, breezy, and reliably entertaining—and it runs through July 19 at Vintage Theatre.

Information and tickets: https://www.vintagetheatre.org/performances/thebookclubplay