The world premiere of Bad Books makes a fitting corollary to Round House’s previous production, What the Constitution Means To Me. In the current atmosphere of attacks on so many of our civil rights, their fearless attitude towards free expression promotes hope, and the determination to defend what we had previously taken so much for granted.
And, just like WTCMTM, Bad Books avoids the trap of preachiness. Wit and irony sparkle from the start, as Kate Eastwood Norris (as The Librarian) and Holly Twyford (The Mother) engage in a face-off about control of children’s reading. Should parents be empowered to forbid certain books? It’s not abstract – the Mother’s son has been reading a novel recommended by the Librarian which, it is revealed, cuts a little too close to real life.
The Mother is not just that. Her past actions (she believes) caused a tragic accident which she atoned for – but not, apparently, enough – and her call for aggression against the Librarian on social media causes consequences for both of them. Norris transforms into her second role as The Manager to levy retribution, and then into a third role (The Editor) in a showcase of extraordinary acting talent honed by years of experience in Washington area theaters. Twyford matches her, emotion for emotion.
Bad Books marks Round House’s premiere of in-the-round staging, utilizing a slowly revolving stage throughout the show. The characters are constantly shifting position as well, resulting in sometimes-occulted action which, briefly, distracts an audience member’s attention. A little fine-tuning is indicated.
Still, the symbolism comes through – the librarian’s station sits at the fulcrum of the spinning world; “circles within circles” describes the cover of the problematic book; the stage design features a collection of banned books (nearly 1,500 contributed/lent by the RH community*, plus 700 “faux books” suspended in an overhead circular fixture). And the plot – the circumstances of the two protagonists (antagonists) resolve at the end almost, but not quite, where they each began.
At the Fourth Wall Bar & Café, the specialty cocktails have a distinctly literary cast. Can Specialty Cocktails be described as Classics? You decide! Here they are:
The Adventures of Huckleberry Fizz
Bourbon, orange juice, huckleberry syrup, lime, Sprite
Catcher in the Rye
Whiskey, maraschino liqueur, lime juice, simple syrup
Clockwork Orange Creamsicle
Whipped cream vodka, orange juice, triple sec, half and half
Of Mice and Mint Julip
Gin, mint syrup, lime juice, club soda
The Color Purple
Vodka, lemonade, lavender-lemon syrup
And:
Zero Proof
perks of being an elderflower [sic]
Lemonade, lime juice, elderflower syrup, and Sprite
*Full disclosure: I contributed six of them.
Bad Books at Round House Theatre through May 4, 2025.
By Sharyn Rothstein
Directed by Ryan Rilette
Featuring Kate Eastwood Norris and Holly Twyford
A National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere
The post The Right Words Can Change The World: Review of Bad Books at Round House appeared first on Catillation.