Krista Schafer, artistic director of Trenton’s Open Book Theatre Company, said the upcoming 12th season is full of comedies and uplifting stories. For more information, go to openbooktheatrecompany.net.
Whether you seek the laughter of a well-written comedy or the uplifting inspiration of a well-told story, the upcoming 12th season of Trenton’s Open Book Theatre Company has a year’s worth of shows sure to delight theatre-goers.
The 2025-26 season includes “The Fantasticks” Sept. 12 to 28, “The Complete Works of Jane Austen Abridged” Nov. 14 to Dec. 7, “Clue” Jan. 9 to Feb. 1, “How We Got On” March 6 to 29, and “Lettice and Lovage” May 8 to 31 at the playhouse, 1621 West Road in Trenton.
Founding Artistic Director Krista Schafer said she is excited about the upcoming season.
“This season is full of comedies and uplifting stories, and starts out with a beloved musical classic,” she said. “There is something for everyone in this season.”
Schafer said the season was chosen to appeal to a broad audience, and to help recapture attendance levels that haven’t rebounded since COVID.
“Open Book is known for producing well-written plays that will have you talking about the themes long after the final bow, and that hasn’t changed this season, but from conversation with audience members I’ve found people are really wanting more lighthearted fare,” she said. “Many people are finding that they need beacons of joy and hope and love right now, and we know that as a theater, we are uniquely positioned to help people experience that in a communal setting.”
The opening show of the new season, Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt’s “The Fantasticks,” is also Open Book’s first musical.
Directed by Wendy Katz Hiller, the funny and romantic musical follows a boy, a girl and their two fathers who try to keep them apart.
The narrator, El Gallo, urges audiences to use their imagination and follow him into a world of moonlight and magic as the musical explores themes of love, illusion and the passage of time.
“The Complete Works of Jane Austen Abridged,” by Jessica Bedford, Kathryn MacMillan, Charlotte Northeast and Meghan Winch is a funny, fast-paced romp through Austen’s beloved stories, shining light on her wit and her skill with social satire.
When one of the three scheduled actors is not available to go on, the remaining duo must bring the understudy rapidly up to speed.
Schaefer said “it is a truth universally acknowledged” that an audience in possession of high spirits will enjoy this big-hearted comedy that will delight Austen fans and newcomers alike.
“Clue,” by Sandy Rustin, begins with a very unusual dinner party on the requisite dark and stormy night. With the host dead and the guests having an assortment of motives and weapons, the question of whodunit will keep audiences guessing until the very end. Directed by Henry Ballesteros, the show, based on the board game and movie, includes the colorful characters Colonel Mustard, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock, Professor Plum and Miss Scarlett.
The next show in the season, “How We Got On” by Idris Goodwin, follows three suburban teens coming of age in the 1980s who dream of achieving fame and fortune as hip-hop artists, but who must deal with their own cultural isolation, familial dysfunction and ruthless rivalries.
Goodwin’s play has been described as a “theatrical mix tape” of the person one is meant to become on the rocky road to adulthood.
The season closes with the Peter Shaffer comedy “Lettice and Lovage.” Directed by Schaefer, the story follows a daffy but enthusiastic history enthusiast who serves as a tour guide at a minor London estate who has a habit of embellishing the truth to give it more flair. When she runs up against an inspector who is a stickler for the facts, a battle ensues.
The shows feature casts of strong local actors, as well as skilled area designers and directors who bring top-notch theatrical productions to Downriver.
Tickets are $35 a show for general admission, with $30 tickets for seniors and $20 tickets for students. Season tickets are $145 for general admission, $120 for seniors and $80 for students. Opening night shows, which includes an afterglow, are $40 per show and $170 for a season ticket.
For more information, go to openbooktheatrecompany.net.