"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.


Here at WICE we thought this would be a very nice addition to our literature program, and a survey of WICE members indicated that there's a real interest in it.

WICE's Living Room Players group currently meets once a month. Once registered, participants are emailed a copy of the play, which they bring (either in paper or electronic form). Parts are assigned randomly, members take on roles and read the play out loud and then discusses it afterwards.

The group looks for plays to read with the following qualities:

  • Available in English
  • Award-winning
  • 7 - 10 characters
  • Approximately 90 minutes long (some plays are edited for length)

Among other plays, the group has read the following to date:

  • 12 Angry Men, (Television adaptation)
  • The Pretentious Young Ladies, by Molière
  • The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde
  • The Autumn Garden, by Lilian Hellman
  • Great Catherine, by George Bernard Show

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:

play-reading@wice-paris.org

Return to Literature

UPCOMING EVENTS

  • LF191 Living Room Players: "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead," by Tom Stoppard

    • 19 Feb 2026
    • 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM
    • A member's apartment in the Marais (address sent after registration)
    • 5
    Register

    Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, by Tom Stoppard, is an absurdist tragicomedy that retells the events of Hamlet from the bewildered perspective of two minor characters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

    Through wordplay and anxious attempts at reasoning, the two wrestle with questions of free will, identity and time. They are symbols of human uncertainty, exploring how easily lives can be spent waiting for lines that never come.

    As the Living Room Players, we will read the script going around the room so that everyone has a chance to participate in their dialogue.

    Registration for the February reading opens on Monday, 19 January.


    Show details

  • LM191 Living Room Players: To Be Determined

    • 19 Mar 2026
    • 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM
    • A member's apartment in the Marais
    • 8
    The March reading has not been selected yet.


    The general concept of The Living Room Players is that people receive the script by email about a week before the reading, and then roles are assigned at the meeting. Attendees sit around a living room and simply read their parts with as much theatrical flourish as they care to give (but there are no expectations of real acting).

    The readings generally take place at a member's apartment in the Marais. The address, door code, and phone number will be sent in the two reminder emails.

    Registration for the February reading opens on Friday, 20 February.


    Show details