BWW Reviews: THE BOOK CLUB PLAY at Actors' Playhouse

There's an all star cast working at Actors' Playhouse right now. And they're stuck in a morass of cliches, weak jokes, and sitcom plotting. It's the 2015 summer season opener, THE BOOK CLUB PLAY.

Ana (Barbara Sloan) has started a book club with her husband's best friend, Will (Michael McKeever). The husband, Rob (Stephen G Anthony), stole Ana from Will while they were college room mates. Book club member Jen (Niki Fridh) is an artsy fartsy who can't hold a man and new member Lily, (Lela Elam) is a flamboyant columnist after Ana's job. Alex (Paul Tei) is a cuddly bear Lit Prof invited to join the club by Jen - to the others' angst. They are exclusive, after all.

The play opens with Ana announcing that the current meeting is being recorded for a reality show. About book clubs. The camera is locked and the members have no control. Every word, every action is recorded. Cue endless jokes: don't look at the camera.

So the thing begins. Snatches of books are read and argued over. Moby Dick is the source of dick jokes. Are graphic novels comic books? Hard cover v PDAs. Twilight books rule. Race. Questions of life are hammered into banality. Etc. Etendlesscetera.

Someone is revealed as gay. (I'm free, I'm free.) Could it be the guy in the Brooks Brothers' clothing as casually mentioned by Ana? Husband Rob, who goes to the meetings only because they're in his house, watches the movies instead of reading and kisses Jen. On camera. Will kisses Rob. On Camera. Ana gets frazzled.

It's a swell set THE BOOK CLUB PLAY is performed on. Large and luxurious, for Rob is a could be vice-president of a drug company. The numerous scene changes are covered by each of the actors showing their chops in cameos; characters hailing books. Good stuff.

And finally, two acts later, the characters pair up before the camera, one after the other, explaining to the reality world how they have now found happiness with their newly chosen partners. Curtain. Thank you.

Karen Zacarias wrote THE BOOK CLUB PLAY. David Arisco directed with scenic design by Jody Dellaventura, costumes by Ellis Tillman, lighting by Eric Nelson and sound by Shaun Mitchell.

See it through June 7 at Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables. 305-444-9293. http://www.actorsplayhouse.org

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