Bad Books

by Sharyn Rothstein

A worried mother comes to the library for what she thinks will be a reasonable, polite discussion about which books are appropriate for her teenage son. But her confrontation with the town librarian, a woman who cares deeply about her job and her community, sparks a chain reaction of consequences no one expected. Equal parts heartbreakingly poignant and absurdly funny, Bad Books leaves audiences wondering what...

A worried mother comes to the library for what she thinks will be a reasonable, polite discussion about which books are appropriate for her teenage son. But her confrontation with the town librarian, a woman who cares deeply about her job and her community, sparks a chain reaction of consequences no one expected. Equal parts heartbreakingly poignant and absurdly funny, Bad Books leaves audiences wondering what it truly means to care for our children. A raucous and brash debate in the quietest place in America... the library.

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Bad Books

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  • Straton Rushing: Bad Books by Sharyn Rothstein
    “

    An excellent and (unfortunately) timely play. Rothstein tackles a controversial topic with nuance, humanity, and damn good characters. Other dramatists would do well to study BAD BOOKS.

    An excellent and (unfortunately) timely play. Rothstein tackles a controversial topic with nuance, humanity, and damn good characters. Other dramatists would do well to study BAD BOOKS.

    ”
Can be performed with 2 women or female-identifying actors, or up to 4 women or female-identifying actors.

THE LIBRARIAN, female or female-identifying. Any age over 35. A person who might have lived in a city, or thought she'd live in a city, or did live in a city until life happened. Funny with a side of sly. Smart without question. A woman who loves what she does.
Most of the time.

THE MOTHER, female, late 30s - 50s. A Woman Who Cares. Who has lived a surprising amount of life. More layered than she appears, than she's allowed to be, or than she chooses to reveal. Genuinely religious. A woman who loves her children. All of the time.

THE MANAGER, may be played by the same actress as The Librarian. A middle manager on her way to the next level. Corporate Material. Compulsively inarticulate, often interrupting herself. Not a word person. Something surprising and almost violent dressed in management training. A woman who loves her job. And her fish.

THE EDITOR, may be played by the same actress as The Librarian and The Manager. Another mother. A different mother. A hugger. A woman who loves a good book. A woman who wants to help.

Development History

  • Workshop, Round House Theatre National Capital New Play Festival, 2023