‘The Book Club Play’ cast and crew write their own chapter in PCC’s theater department

On the opening night of the theater arts department’s spring main stage show, “The Book Club Play,” actors of varying backgrounds and experiences were surrounded by an audience in PCC’s CA Theatre. The audience wrapped around the disk-shaped seating area, on the stage was a carefully constructed set modeled after a modern home, further immersing the actors into the private world of a tight-knit group of friends.

A little over a month before working together, all six main cast members waited in line for the open audition, some still unsure of their decision.

“I originally didn’t know I wanted to audition for this show. But my friends were doing it too, so I’m like, ‘Why don’t I do it too,’” said cast member Chase Larsen. “I was given the hard choice of this or another class. And ultimately, the people here brought me to the show.”

The first main stage show to be directed by adjunct theater professor Martin Rodriguez, “The Book Club Play” follows Ana (Sara Baker), the controlling, self-appointed leader of a book club now the subject of a documentary. The group’s reading activities are disrupted by changing tastes and a new problematic member, with each interpersonal dynamic imploding as tensions rise to comedic effect.

Beginning its run on April 5, PCC’s adaptation of “The Book Club Play,” by playwright Karen Zacarías, comes after the theater arts department underwent some restructuring within the past year. While musicals typically occupy the spring main stage slot, Rodriguez and the rest of the faculty opted to focus on efficiency and ensuring students can fulfill requirements for several theater classes.

The main cast ranges in experience, this being Baker’s fourth show, Katherine Allee, who played Jen, is her first time performing at PCC, and Pedro Honess, who played Rob, is his second time performing anywhere.

“I personally try to look up as much as I can,” said Gracie Alecio, who plays Lily. “I feel like looking at the audience, especially if I look at someone I know, I’m like, ‘Oh no.’ No matter what, you’re always gonna be nervous. But as you’re going through the show, you definitely start to grow into it and be like, ‘Oh, I know this. I got this.’”

The cast also faced challenges from the play’s comedy. They had to find subjective humor in how lines appear on a page versus how they are delivered, as well as selling themselves and the audience on the believability of the characters.

“If you don’t have the right timing or the right pacing for something, the lines can be the funniest things ever written, but it won’t be funny unless they’re said with the right cadence,” said Allee.

The performances are never the same, whether it’s the opening night or the last show scheduled. But Baker and the rest of the cast’s process of working through comedic acting reaffirmed their passion for their craft. They helped each other be open to the surprises of each performance, which offered a rewarding sense of satisfaction in how they approached the characters.

“[Comedy] can be very stiff if you want it to be. It’s just, like, a bunch of characters in a book club in their 30s, like whoop-de-doo,” said Baker. “But if you add, you know, your heart and soul. Not to be cheesy, but [when] you really put yourselves in their position, then it brings some life to these characters and the story.”

Rodriguez selected Zacarías’ play as part of this semester’s female-identifying playwrights theme. He first directed “A Devising Fiasco” in the fall of 2021 and “The Sparrow” in the summer of 2022; he also took over for theater arts professor William Hickman’s “SHH!…(The Original Musical)” towards the end of its run. For Baker, collaborating with Rodriguez on “SHH!” encouraged her to audition for “The Book Club Play.”

“Our first day, we actually didn’t really read through the script. We talked about if we liked to read, if we didn’t like to read, what books we liked, what books we didn’t like, and why we liked those books,” said Rodriguez. “The point of reading, and the point of art, is to enjoy, and it’s all about perspectives and point of view.”

Rodriguez values his actors’ commitment to theater rehearsals, knowing that they maintain their devotion to this art form when they switch from their everyday lives to their acting positions. However, as a professor with a background in theater education, he wants the actors to improve without neglecting prior obligations, whether it be day jobs or other responsibilities.

“The actors are still students,” said Rodriguez. “They don’t wake up, do rehearsal, and go to sleep. They are people, and making sure that they stay people who are sane and not losing their minds is also something that I try, and we try and do our best at. Because a balanced life for students is important. A balanced life for just being a person is important.”

Showings of “The Book Club Play” will continue on Thursday, April 11, and conclude on the evening of Saturday, April 13.

Our full interview and coverage with the main cast of “The Book Club Play” is available on TikTok and YouTube!