The Book Club Play at IRT
After producing an entirely virtual season last year, the Indiana Repertory Theatre will open its doors again for the 2021-2022 season, as well as continue to offer virtual options. The hybrid season will kick off with the with the tart comedy The Book Club Play, written by Karen Zacarías and directed by IRT’s Associate Artistic Director Benjamin Hanna. This fizzy, funny delight will be live on the OneAmerica Mainstage October 6 – 31 and available for streaming October 18 – 31, 2021.
“It is no coincidence that we selected a comedy to re-open our Theatre to live performance after an 18-month hiatus,” IRT’s Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director Janet Allen said. “Our shared need to laugh, to allow our perspectives to be broadened by sharing joy in the human condition, has rarely been more sorely needed.”
About the play
Set in 2013, The Book Club Play follows a group of 30-somethings whose book club is the subject of a famous documentary filmmaker. The members of the club differ in perspective, race, sexual orientation, and viewpoint on the world so completely that their colliding assumptions also create a ripe environment for the comedy.
“Playwright Karen Zacarías has written a whip-smart play that celebrates our relationships to the literature we love and the friends we cherish,” Director and IRT’s Associate Artistic Director Benjamin Hanna said. “Book clubs celebrate great stories and our ability to love different things. We hope you settle in with this quirky group for an evening of secrets revealed through the power of a good book.”
About the playwright and cast
Zacarías, a Latina playwright, is one of the most produced playwrights in the nation. This production of her work coincides with National Hispanic Heritage Month, which occurs September 15 – October 16. The cast is made up of six actors from around the country, some of who are joining the IRT for the first time. Emily Berman, Sean Davis, Will Mobley, Adam Poss, Andrea San Miguel, and Cassia Thompson will bring to life these humorous and much-needed book club discussions for both our in-person and virtual audiences.
Covid restrictions
Starting October 6 with our season opener, all IRT patrons attending public performances must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 PCR test (administered no more than 72 hours prior to the performance). This vaccine requirement will also apply to IRT artists, staff, and volunteer ushers. Masks will also be required in the building, regardless of vaccination status. Please visit irtlive.com/faq for the full information regarding this update. Our goal is that these are temporary measures, and we will continue to evaluate our policies in an effort to keep audience members, staff, and actors as safe as possible.
Tickets and information
WHERE: Indiana Repertory Theatre, 140 W. Washington Street, OneAmerica Mainstage. Streaming online via irtlive.com.
DATES: Live in-person October 6 – 31, 2021, various times. Streaming online October 18 – 31, 2021. The Book Club Play is approximately 2 hours, including a 15-minute intermission. Tickets and performance schedule are available at IRTlive.com.
TICKETS: Tickets for live performances start at $25. Virtual tickets are $30. Visit https://tickets.irtlive.com/overview/4789?psn=4789.