The Players Club of Swarthmore Presents BOOK OF DAYS, by Lanford Wilson, 6/7-22

The Players Club of Swarthmore presents Book of Days by Lanford Wilson, opening on Second Stage Friday, March 7 and playing Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. until March 22, with a Sunday matinee on March 16th at 2:00.

The play is among other things a murder mystery. It's also a layered portrait of a small town in the Ozarks, where the owner of the local cheese factory is the biggest man in town, his playboy son dreams of a political career, the bright young preacher whips his congregation into a holy frenzy, and an out-of-work Hollywood director turns up at the local little theater to direct a production of Shaw's Saint Joanwhich turns out to have an eerie resonance with the present day. The heroine of Wilson's play is the actress who is cast as Joan of Arc in Shaw's play. As Joan she wrestles with the hopeless task of convincing the judges of the Inquisition that her mission was God-sent, while off stage the actress, convinced that murder has been done, faces the blank denial of her fellow townspeople who, each for their own reason, are unable to entertain the thought. With vivid characters, fluid staging, and taut intrigue, Book of Days is one of the most ingeniously constructed of Lanford Wilson's many plays.

Directed by Heather Timberman, the Players Club production features Janean Clare of Morton, Rose Azrael of Media, Kimberly Hess of Holland, Penna, Thomas- Robert Irvin and Vail Gualteri of Swarthmore, Patrick Martin of Havertown, Brenna McBride of Bryn Mawr, Emily-Grace Murray of Drexel Hill, Richard Paci of Lansdale, Eric J Pedersenof Audubon, N.J., David A. Richman of West Chester, and Dave DiLiberto of Phoenixville.

Admission is $10 at the door. The three Friday performances feature special events: on opening night, March 7, there will be a reception at 7:30. March 14 is Dessert Night (again at 7:30); on March 21 the audience is invited to discuss the play with the cast and director after the performance.

The Players Club is located at 614 Fairview Road, just off Chester Road, in Swarthmore. Second Stage is not handicapped-accessible. With strong language and adult situations, Book of Days may not be appropriate for those under 13 years of age. For more information, call 610-328-4271 or go to www.pcstheater.org.

Photo Credit: David A. Richman

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