"The play's the thing" -Hamlet, William Shakespeare

Play reading groups have a long tradition.

In Virginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway," the character Peter Walsh describes reading Shakespeare out loud with some companions.

In E.M. Forster's "A Room with a View," the character of Mr. Beebe remarks on the pleasure of reading plays out loud.

And in his book, "Caravans," James A. Michener talks about how—in the mid-1940s—foreign embassy personnel in Kabul, Afghanistan gathered in the evenings and read plays out loud as a form of entertainment.

More recently, during the COVID lock downs, online play reading group activity soared. Here at WICE we thought this would be a very nice addition to our Literature program, and a recent survey of WICE members indicated that there's a real interest in it.


In the near-term, WICE's "From Page to Stage" group will focus on reading plays with the following qualities:

  • Available in English
  • Award-winning
  • 6 - 10 characters
  • Two acts

Furthermore, we strive to have a balance in gender among the authors, and a mix of nationalities.

The plays listed below all meet these criteria, and these will be the candidate plays for the time being. This list is by no means exhaustive or exclusive, and any other play that meets the criteria is open for inclusion. Once the group gets further established, we may expand our selection criteria.

Participation in this group is free for WICE Members, although registration is required. Note: There are two reserved spots for new WICE members in each play reading.

If you would like more information or if you have questions, please email:

literature@wice-paris.org

Return to Literature

Sample Candidate Plays

     
Title Playwright Nationality Characters Awards
A Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry American 7 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award
Dancing at Lughnasa Brian Friel Irish 7 Tony Award for Best Play
The Children's Hour Lillian Hellman American 9 Pulitzer Nominee
Clybourne Park Bruce Norris American 7 Pulitzer Prize for Drama / Tony Award for Best Play
The Real Thing Tom Stoppard British 7 Tony Award for Best Play
Top Girl Caryl Churchill British 7 Obie Award for Playwriting
Jitney August Wilson American 9 Olivier Award
Sweat  Lynn Nottage American 9 Pulitzer Prize
The Heidi Chronicles Wendy Wasserstein American 8 Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Christopher Durang American 6 Tony Award
Arcadia Tom Stoppard British 9 Laurence Oliver Award for Best New Play
Black Watch Gregory Burke Scottish 10 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play

UPCOMING EVENTS

    • 01 Dec 2023
    • 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
    • To Be Determined
    • 0
    Join waitlist
    This month's play is Agatha Christie's "Butter in a Lordly Dish," a 30-minute radio play that is a tale of revenge and deceit. The story revolves around Sir Luke Enderby KC, a prominent barrister and known womanizer, despite being married. He arranges a rendezvous with a mysterious woman, Lavinia, at a secluded cottage.


    Unbeknownst to Enderby, Lavinia has a hidden agenda. She is the daughter of a man whom Enderby had once prosecuted, leading to the man's execution and his wife's subsequent suicide. Lavinia seeks retribution for her parents' deaths.

    During a dinner at the cottage, Lavinia reveals her true identity and her tragic story. She serves Enderby a drugged meal, and as he succumbs to its effects, she discloses her plan to kill him in revenge. The play's title, derived from a biblical story, symbolizes the deceptive comfort that leads to Enderby's downfall, intertwining themes of justice, betrayal, and the consequences of one's past actions.

    • 19 Jan 2024
    • 2:30 PM - 5:00 PM
    • To Be Determined
    • 12

    On the 3rd Friday of the month, WICE has a cold play reading group that is open to all WICE members. This group gathers and reads out loud various plays that meet the following criteria:

    • English language 
    • Award winning
    • One or two acts
    • 6 - 9 characters

    Plays are chosen on a month-to-month basis primarily (but not exclusively) from the candidate list of plays located on our webpage, From Page to Stage: Readings of Award-Winning Plays.

    Registration the January session opens on 02 December.

    • 16 Feb 2024
    • 2:30 PM - 5:00 PM
    • To Be Announced
    • 12

    On the 3rd Friday of the month, WICE has a cold play reading group that is open to all WICE members. This group gathers and reads out loud various plays that meet the following criteria:

    • English language 
    • Award winning
    • One or two acts
    • 6 - 9 characters

    Plays are chosen on a month-to-month basis primarily (but not exclusively) from the candidate list of plays located on our webpage, From Page to Stage: Readings of Award-Winning Plays.

    Registration the February session opens on 20 January.

    • 15 Mar 2024
    • 2:30 PM - 5:00 PM
    • To Be Announced
    • 12

    On the 3rd Friday of the month, WICE has a cold play reading group that is open to all WICE members. This group gathers and reads out loud various plays that meet the following criteria:

    • English language 
    • Award winning
    • One or two acts
    • 6 - 9 characters

    Plays are chosen on a month-to-month basis primarily (but not exclusively) from the candidate list of plays located on our webpage, From Page to Stage: Readings of Award-Winning Plays.

    Registration the March session opens on 17 February.