Most theatrical productions start with a book – the script. These are literary works designed for the stage. The playwright, or author, writes the story that is the jumping off point for the production. A playwright uses many of the same tools an author of a novel uses such as character development, plot, dialogue (okay, LOTS of dialogue!), place, and mood. The playwright must trust that different artists such as actors, designers, and directors will take the written book and bring it to life. Just like a book lives differently in each reader’s imagination, a script lives differently in each staged production. We invite you to delve deeper into our plays by looking at them not just as a performing art, but as a literary work. Think about and discuss the choices the playwright made… and the other artists involved. How does the story relate to your life? Our discussion questions are designed for either groups that want to simply see the play and discuss it, or groups that read the play before seeing it. Scripts for all of the plays in our season – except our world premiere- are available for purchase online from Amazon and other places. We also suggest companion books – books that go along with the themes discussed in the play that would make for interesting “companions” to our work. For each production we will offer a talk back after the Sunday matinee, a great time for your group to discuss the play with the artists involved. If your group is attending a different performance and would like to speak to someone involved in the show let us know by sending an e-mail to krista@openbooktc.com. We might be able to arrange a brief discussion with an artist.
Tickets are $20, $15 for students and seniors, but we do offer a group discount of $3 off each ticket.
THE BOOK CLUB IS BEING REVAMPED, AND WITH THE NEW BUILDING WE HAVEN’T HAD TIME TO WORK ON ALL THE DETAILS. CHECK BACK LATER.
In the meantime, we recommend reading Peter Pan by J.M. Barry and Peter and the Starcatches by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.
We’ll see you at the show! Welcome to Open BOOK CLUB 15-16
Past shows:
Suggested companion reading: Being Mortal, by Atul Gawande (on dying); When We Danced on Water, by Evan Fallenberg (a novel on the Holocaust and the lasting legacy of violence); The Storied Life of AJ Firky, by Gabrielle Zevin (a novel set in a bookstore).
Who Am I This Time discussion questions
Suggested Companion Reading: Welcome to the Monkey House – a collection of short stories that includes the three stories the play focuses on: Long Walk to Forever, Who Am I This Time, and Go Back to Your Precious Wife and Son. Unstuck in Time: A Journey Through Kurt Vonnegut’s Live and Novels by Dr. Gregoy Sumner.
Suggested Companion Books: If you are interested in learning more about Rudolf Bauer’s history and art we recommend the books Rudolf Bauer and Rudolf Bauer (Works on Paper). Also of interest is Art Of Tomorrow: Hilla Guggenheim Rebay And Solomon R. Also, the play Red by John Logan as a comparison to how another playwright treated an historical painter in a fictional encounter.
Dead Mans Cell Phone Discussion Questions
Shadow Box Discussion Questions
Suggested companion books for The Shadow Box: On Death and Dying by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult, The Fault in our Stars by John Green 
Kimberly Akimbo discussion questions
Independence discussion questions
Looking for a companion book to Red? We suggest Mark Rothko: A Biography by James Breslin and The Artist’s Reality: Philosophies of Art by Mark Rothko
Looking for a companion book to Sylvia? We suggest The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein or Marley & Me by John Grogan