The Festival Announces the Cast of The Book Club Play
Get ready for some serious fun with the cast of The Book Club Play! Directed by returning actor and director Matt Zambrano in the Anes Studio Theatre, this witty and high energy comedy by Karen Zacarías explores a tight-knit group of friends who become the subject of a documentary during their book club get-togethers.
“I am so incredibly thrilled for Festival audiences to experience this side-splitting comedy, written by one of the most prolific playwrights in the American theater and starring an amazing group of actors,” says Zambrano. “There’s something for everyone in The Book Club Play, and I can’t wait to get started on it. I think it will be the perfect companion piece to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, with more twists and turns than Kolob Canyon.”
Collaborating with Zambrano are Scenic Designer Jason Simms, Costume Designer Devon Painter, Lighting Designer Claire Chrzan, Sound Designer/Composer Melanie Chen Cole, Choreographer/Fight Director/Intimacy Coordinator Christina Traister, and Stage Manager Emily Marie Wilke.
The cast for The Book Club Play includes both new and returning actors:
Travis Ascione is new to the Festival, and is debuting as Rob/Sam in The Book Club Play. His work has been seen at Texas Shakespeare Festival, Citadel Theatre, YPT Chicago, and Shakespeare & Company. His voiceover credits include The Saints with The Merry Beggars and he has an MFA in acting from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Sean Dale debuts at the Festival as Alex/Carl in The Book Club Play. He has performed at Alliance Theatre, Texas Shakespeare Festival, Atlanta Shakespeare Company, and in the United Kingdom at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Arcola Theatre, and Tristan Bates Theatre. His teaching credits include Kennesaw State University and Emory University, and he holds an MFA in acting.
Emily Fury Daly appears for her inaugural season at the Festival as Ana in The Book Club Play. Her Off-Broadway work includes La Mama Experimental Theatre and Soho Playhouse, and she has also performed at American Players Theatre, Great River Shakespeare Festival, Pittsburgh Public, Pacific Conservatory Theatre, and Chautauqua Theater Company, among others. She has been on NBC’s Chicago Med, appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.
Jacob Dresch makes his first appearance at the Festival as Will/Frank in The Book Club Play. He performed Off-Broadway at Red Bull Theatre in School for Scandal, and has also been seen at Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Orlando Shakespeare Theater, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, and Denver Center, among others. His teaching credits include MSU Denver, CU Boulder, DeSales University, New York Film Academy, and UC Irvine. He received Colorado Theatre Guild’s Henry Award and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.
Chloe McLeod returns for her second season at the Festival as Jen/Elsa in The Book Club Play. Audiences may remember her in The Taming of the Shrew, The Winter’s Tale, and Henry VIII in 2024. In addition, she has performed in four seasons at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival and several shows at the Denver Center, where she has also taught. She has participated in multiple new play workshops across the country and received training at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy.
Regan Sims makes her Festival debut as Lily/Mrs. Simpson in The Book Club Play. She has worked Off-Broadway at 59E59 and ART/NY Theater, as well as at Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Huntington Theater Company, Two River Theater, and in the United Kingdom at Shakespeare’s Globe in London and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Other credits include work with Recent Cutbacks, Story Pirates, and Broken Box Mime Theater. She received her BFA in acting from Rutgers and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.
The Festival’s 65th season runs June 18 through October 3, 2026. The Book Club Play performs in rotation with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in the Anes Studio Theatre starting July 14. Don’t miss these incredible productions, as well as more shows in our other two amazing theatres. Get your tickets online at bard.org or by calling 800-PLAYTIX (800-752-9849).
