Playhouse, the story of a Shakespeare theater company in Memphis, is a novel that dives deep into the self-centered actors who are preparing for the grand re-opening production of King Lear amid the remodel of the stage and building. Readers will enjoy the gossip among all they actors as they each work their way up their own personal career ladders as up and coming females or aging males from Netflix series. The essential thread throughout the novel is Claudette Bradley, a member of the cast, who walks her father, Ellis, out of the memory loss facility and chooses to care for him. This father-daughter relationship brings readers back to Bausch's 1989 novel, Mr. Field's Daughter, a recommended read for those not familiar with Bausch's earliest works.

Bausch's latest centers on a Memphis theater company undergoing an extensive renovation while mounting a lavish modern production of King Lear. A slow start notwithstanding, PLAYHOUSE offers an entertaining—and convincing—look at both human and literary drama. The challenges the characters face—caregiving, marital struggles, divorce, workplace politics, mid-life reinvention, the challenges of life in and around non-profit institutions—will resonate for many readers. In addition, the book will have special appeal for theater lovers, who will enjoy its deft interweaving of Shakespeare and modern life.

Richard Bausch is, technically speaking, a very good writer. And that skill certainly comes through here in Playhouse, though unless you are a great fan of small theater politics or me too narratives, there’s not much to get excited about.

I’m no true enthusiast of either in book, though I’m fine with their inclusion as part of a plot which has other things to recommend it. This feels mostly like small and petty suburban stuff, one of my least favorite settings and themes in fiction.

The dialogue, while well written technically, is dull and droning and none of the characters are either particularly unique or particularly likable. There are loads of good theater books and loads of good books with a me too bent, so there’s no real reason to pick up a book like this that isn’t particularly exceptional on either subject and has little else that is uniquely good about it.

King Lear is always an interesting element to introduce into a novel, but this doesn’t do what the best Shakespeare-adjacent novels do, which is create a great allegorical comparison between what’s going on with the characters with what happens in the play.

This doesn’t by any means meet my parameters for a “bad” book, but it’s also not one that feels truly worth your time. Bausch has other, better novels. Read those instead.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

Richard Bausch created a cacophony of stories and voices in Playhouse, some definitely more interesting than others.

Bausch does get props for juggling all of these point of view’s however, that is where my praise stops. It seems that in every sub plot the female is somehow made the antagonist whilst not making them more than one dimensional.

Gina shows clear signs of menopausal struggles but is not further examined other than to be at odds with her husband.

Mona is a newly eighteen year old actress playing along side her disgraced uncle whom she had serious and suspicious altercations with years ago. She has clearly needed to grow up quickly as shown in her uncle Malcolm’s point of view. Her behaviour however, is childish and fitting for her age. Her trauma is not taken into count with her actions and she is instead written as a whiny and naïve character.

Claudette is a massively talented actress going through major personal discoveries as she takes her declining dad into her care full time whilst juggling acting. Her love for her dad is stopping her from fully committing to her adult life as seen by her increasingly concerning relationship with her ex-husband. Her meek attitude toward the men in her life as well as Mona and Gina’s characters are indicative of the authors own beliefs.

Each female character suffers under the men in their lives but are written as the villains from the males’ perspective. This could be seen as a point being made of society’s portrayal of women however, it just falls flat. The men are all deemed victorious in the end apart from Claudette’s ex.

This was just not my cup of tea and was not good.

Overall, I rate this book 1 out of 5 stars.

This smart literary novel follows Thaddeus, Claudette, and Malcolm. Bausch handles all 3 viewpoints beautifully, seamlessly weaving their narratives to create a dazzling coherent whole.

Thaddeus is dealing with the potential failure of his marriage. Claudette, a visiting director, arrives at the theater to shake things up, but she's being pursued by her ex-boyfriend. Malcom, a disgraced TV anchor, has been swept up in a scandal involving his niece that just won't go away. Each of the three characters is at a breaking point. Eventually we realize the fate of the theater itself is at stake.

The Shakespeare references are lovely, and the backdrop of the theater world is perfect to explore these human dramas as they crescendo toward a breaking point.

I wanted to enjoy this one but I found the plot, story, and characterizations hard to follow and not really resonate the best for me at times.