Damon Klassen, director of theater, surprised himself with his choice for the 2025 spring play.
Despite imagining himself opting for “a hard-hitting political satire,” he went instead for “whimsy and pure escapism”: The Bookstore, a one-act comedy (under 90 minutes, without intermission) from 2022 by Adam Szymkowicz.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. April 25 and 26 with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. April 27, in Krehbiel Auditorium in Luyken Fine Arts Center. Boklund Interpreting Service will provide interpretation for the d/Deaf community at Friday’s performance.
Tickets are available at Thresher Shop in Schultz Student Center, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays, or online at https://www.bethelks.edu/fine-arts/theater/theater-department-presents/#tickets, as well as at the door. Phone orders with credit card can be taken weekdays at 316-284-5205.
The plot is essentially this: The largest bookstore in New England has lost its owner. The rightful heir, Rachel Gund, has a mind to cash in and sell it to a wealthy developer.
Can the longtime loyal manager and the eclectic, eccentric staff convince Rachel to take over the store and keep it going? Will Mrs. Witherly ever find Greg? Does Josh really live in the well? Will the wacky assortment of patrons find the books they need and, more importantly, the love they need?
Except for the parts of Rachel (Kyra Linenberger, Lindsborg) and the manager, Candace (Pandora Freeman, Sedgwick), and a small role for Man in Elizabethan Garb (Josef Anderson, Ellinwood), cast members have two or more roles.
Abby Chappell Deckert, North Newton, appears as Ellen and Jane Dricken; Ben Rudeen, Osage City, as Sven and Neil; Preston Vicenzi, Newton, as Jamie, Dr. Hern and Byron; Rowen Schulz, Lena, Ill., as Also Jamie, Greg and Ted; Mindi Moran, Newton, as Kim and Sadie; Emily Guldner, Independence, Mo., as Alexis and Sue; Jasper Krehbiel, North Newton, as Ryan, Josh, Miles and Married Friend; Tyrel Wagner, Waterville, as Anthony, Max Brewer and Machina “Mac” Rogers; Lilli Reisser, Enger, Germany, as Marie and Turtledove; and Luz Mayora, Wichita, as Miss Witherly and Woman in Gas Mask.
Technical director is Jocelyn Wilkinson, who also did scenic design, lighting design and (along with Micah Wenger, Hutchinson) sound engineering.
Anderson is the costume designer and Vicenzi the properties manager. The set construction and painting is by the spring 2025 Theater Practicum class and the cast. Wenger is the sound board operator and Wilkinson the light board operator. Ava Broxterman, McPherson, did the cast head shots, and Nick Collins, Boise, Idaho, designed the posters.
“The Bookstore is a place for lovers of books, lovers of laugh and lovers of love,” Klassen says – all of them excellent distractions for tough times.
Bethel is a four-year liberal arts college founded in 1887 and is the oldest Mennonite college in North America. Bethel was the first Kansas college or university to be named a Truth, Community Healing and Transformation (TCHT) Campus Center, in 2021. For more information, see https://www.bethelks.edu
