The Sawyer Free Library and Gloucester Stage Company have teamed up once again to offer the Page2Stage Book Club. This innovative collaboration is a unique take on the traditional book club that focuses on literary works associated with performances from Gloucester Stage Company’s exciting 2021 season. The summer’s theatrical performances will be taking place outside at the beautiful and historic Windhover Performing Arts Center in Rockport from June through September.

Page2Stage gives participants opportunities to deepen and expand their experience as audience members through pre-show facilitated discussions about each play’s subject and related content, including biographies, novels, and timely periodicals. 

The four selected literary works for this season’s Page2Stage series are available now at the Sawyer Free Library located at 2 Dale Avenue in Gloucester. 

The program begins on Thursday, June 17 at 5:45 pm, discussing Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by New York Times best-selling author Cheryl Strayed, before Gloucester Stage’s production of Tiny Beautiful Things at 7:30pm.

Then on Thursday, July 8, the book club will discuss the book, The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Doyle prior to seeing the production of Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery.

On Thursday, August 12, the Book Club will discuss Anthony Bourdain’s memoir, Medium Raw, then will enjoy the regional premier of the play, Seared. 

To bring the summer series to a close on Thursday, September 9, the group will discuss an article from The Atlantic, “The Case for Reparations” by Ta-Nehesi Coates prior to seeing the New England premiere of Reparations, a poignant new play by James Sheldon where personal revelations lead to laughs, tears, and coming to terms with racial injustice and personal betrayal. 

This year with Page2Stage Book Club, discussions will happen before the show at Windhover Performing Art Center located at 257R Granite Street in Rockport.

The book group is free to join with discount theater tickets for registered members. There is no charge to participate in the group, but registration is required. Register for one or more groups at www.sawyerfreelibrary.org. Discounted show tickets of $25 will be available to participants by calling the Gloucester Stage Box Office 978 281-4433.

For more information about Page2Stage visit:  sawyerfreelibrary.org or gloucesterstage.com/community-events/.