The Arvada Center invites audiences to join its book club

Anyone who has been in a book club before knows they can be a brilliant opportunity to bond with friends, both old and new, over a shared love of the written word. And they can also be ground zero for all kinds of interpersonal messiness.

In the Arvada Center’s production of Karen Zacarías’ laugh-out-loud “ e Book Club Play,” one group becomes the subject of a documentary lm maker, resulting in all kinds of hilarity as the members let the camera into their lives.

“I love books. And I nd book clubs fascinating,” wrote Kate Gleason, who plays several pundits in the show, in an email interview. “I like how book clubs are a chance for very di erent characters to come together in a shared experience. I was challenged and excited to play several wildly di erent characters with one common thread — books.”

“ e Book Club Play” runs at the Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., through May 18. Directed by Lynne Collins as part of the Black Box eatre repertory season, performances are at 7:30 p.m. on ursdays through Saturdays, 1 p.m. on Wednesdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays.

Gathering with others who share a love of books is a tried-and-true setting for all kinds of stories, and there’s a good reason for this — in book clubs, members have a tendency to really let their hair down and cut loose. Not only does this make for a very dynamic energy between characters, but it can be a vehicle

Coming Attractions

to explore how we connect with each other.

— a series that goes back more than 50 years.

FROM PAGE 14 can develop mood disorders, such as depression, anxiety, apathy and irritability. ere’s also dementia, an issue that a ects not just my dad, but our whole family. ings have become slower year by year in the 12 years since my dad’s diagnosis. at doesn’t mean the decline has been steady or that family life has ground to a halt. I’m thankful that for many years my dad could still do almost everything. Now, it’s just life at a much slower pace and nothing that we, as a family, can’t manage with a little

Clarke Reader

“It’s about the relationships we have with our friends, family, and ourselves, all centered around great, or not so great, books,” Gleason wrote. “ e ability to agree or disagree is all part of the fun.”

Stories involving book clubs provide opportunities to explore all kinds of culture: classic highbrow novels and the authors who write them, as well as trashy books that provide an opportunity to get together and complain with friends. With that kind of range, audiences who see “ e Book Club Play” can expect laughs and literary references galore.

“Creating family and community are all part of our shared human experience. In all its glory and messiness,” Gleason wrote. “And books can connect or disconnect us from each other. Let the hilarity ensue.”

For more information and tickets, visit https://arvadacenter.org/ events/the-book-club-play.

History Colorado takes travelers on a tour of Arvada

No matter where you live, there’s always an opportunity to learn a little more about your town or city. at’s the ethos behind History Colorado’s Tours and Treks adventure series patience.

One example: family celebrations and get-togethers. It takes him longer to unwrap a gift. So, now I am conscious about making sure there’s not too much tape securing the paper or too many ribbons to untie.

Parkinson’s is weird because some changes in my dad happened slowly while others seemed to come about all of a sudden.

For instance, ve years ago, my dad could still take the family out for a day of boating on Chat eld Reservoir. And, just one year ago, he was driving his truck with no problems. Today, my dad cannot do those things. He cannot walk up stairs

SEE STEADMAN, P17

As part of this year’s lineup, History Colorado is hosting a Historic Arvada Walking Tour from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 15. According to provided information, the tour will provide a look at “historic buildings, tales of champions of religious and racial tolerance, and delicious spots to stop for snacks.” munity Park Road, at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 8. e symphony will be performing music from Rodney Sauer to accompany the lms. Buy tickets at https://broomeldsymphony.org.

All the details for the tour can be found at www.historycolorado.org/ tours-and-treks.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Snail Mail at the Fox Theatre

Broomfield

Symphony celebrates Buster Keaton

You’d be forgiven for believing that the work of silent lm star Buster Keaton has very little to recommend it in the modern cinematic landscape. But upon closer inspection, his ngerprints are everywhere — a recent example is the ballet of violence that is “John Wick 4.”

To learn a little more about Keaton and what makes him such a special performer, check out the Broom eld Symphony’s presentation of two lms, “One Week” and “Sherlock Jr.” e screening will be held at the Broom eld Auditorium, 3 Com-

Lindsey Jordan, who records under the name Snail Mail, makes the kind of indie rock that fans of the genre’s early days in the 1990s will immediately recognize. While there are certainly familiar elements to Snail Mail’s music, she’s uses a razor-sharp pen to artfully delve into themes of loneliness, identity and human connection.

Snail Mail will be stopping by Boulder’s Fox eatre, 1135 13th St., at 8:30 p.m. on April 11. She’ll be joined by Water From Your Eyes and Dazy, both bands that represent exciting new talents that add a lot to indie rock. Get tickets at www.axs. com.

Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail. com.

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

An tiques might seem like a eld that’s struggling to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, but the local scene in Elizabeth — and elsewhere in Colorado — suggests a renaissance of sorts might be occurring in the industry.

Randy Wallace owns Randy’s Antiques and Art on Main Street in Elizabeth. e bustling scene in town — featuring e Prickly Pear Antiques, e Carriage Shoppes and 1897 House of Antiques, among others — breeds community, not competition, he said.

“ e more stores in town, the better,” Wallace said. “People love to come antique shopping when there are multiple stores. Each one of our shops has a di erent niche, each one has just a little bit di erent style; I think customers enjoy having a di erent variety when they come to Elizabeth.”

Wallace said that while his shop specializes in antique art and furniture, others cater to di erent interests, like the Prickly Pear’s tearoom.

Over in Littleton, owner Joe Crawford of Old Crow Antiques had the novel idea to add a root beer bar to his shop, with the eventual goal of making the soda section — which currently carries between 60-90 varieties of vintage soda pop at any given time — the largest root beer bar in the world.

Crawford said Old Crow — which he opened three years ago with his brother — is one of the “new kids on the block” in the local antiquing scene, but said they’ve been welcomed into the scene with open arms.

“I feel like we’re part of a larger community in the metro area,” Wallace said. “ ere are stores throughout the area, and we’ve gotten to know the people who own and work there — some have been here a long time.”

Nostalgia and good, old-fashioned, quality craftsmanship

Antique shops can often sprawl thousands of square feet — Old Crow’s showroom is over 45,000 square feet — packed with items from all eras and purposes. Shopkeepers say that a sense of longing for a di erent time helps people nd what they’re looking for out of the scores of inventories, in addition to the fact that many antiques have stood the test of time for a reason.

“In antique furniture, it’s already lasted 100 years, and — if you take care of it — it’ll last another 100 years,” Wallace said. “A lot of today’s stu is kind of throwaway.”

Julie McCoy, who runs own Unique Treasures Antiques and Collectibles in Wheat Ridge with her parents, echoed Wallace’s sentiment.

“(Antiques are) made so much better,” McCoy said. “ ey’re around 100 years later for a reason. It’s not like Ikea stu that you put together and throw away. It’s good quality

Part of the showroom at Old Crow Antiques in