Join us for Tuesday Night Book Club! Hosted by Monmouth University’s Ken Womack and Michael Thomas, each month we’ll explore a different novel. All you have to do is Zoom in and join the discussion! This month’s novel is Clare Beams’ The Illness Lesson. When you register you will be provided the meeting link to join the conversation.
The play is set in the backyard of two adjoining houses in the working class neighborhood of South Philadelphia. They are about to celebrate the 21st birthday of Francis Geminiani, a Harvard student, when two classmate friends from Harvard and Yale, Judith and Randy, show up unexpectedly. Since there isn’t a spare bedroom in either house they pitch a tent in the backyard. Francis’ classmates, the wealthy Judith seeks romance with Francis not realizing that her brother Randy is the object of Francis’ unexpressed affection. Each of the characters in the play are dysfunctional to some degree and their celebration of Francis’ birthday brings out the best of comedy and drama. The birthday party is a series of comic incidents that provide laughter and serious realizations that lead up to the final joyous ending. The crazy fast moving celebration leaves each character a bit wiser and happier having celebrated Francis’ 21st birthday.
Composer, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, multi-GRAMMY® winner, multi-Blues Music Award winner, Blues Hall of Fame member and Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement award recipient TAJ MAHAL streaming LIVE to the comforts of your own home from the UC Theatre stage in Berkeley, CA. This will be Taj’s first ever livestream performance!
