Story Seekers | Book Club

Sat, Oct 18 · 3:00 PM EDT

🎭📚 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street

Music Mountain Theatre, 1483 New Jersey 179, Lambertville, NJ, US

📚 STORY SEEKERS: Sweeney Todd meets Sweeney Todd, the musical

The Concept: What happens when you read a book and then experience something connected to it? Join us to find out! We'll all read Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street: The String Of Pearls by Prest, then gather for Sweeney Todd, the musical at Music Mountain Theater to see how the story translates beyond the page. Afterward, we'll compare notes over food and drinks at Under the Moon in Lambertville, NJ.

***

Details for you:
STEP 1: BUY your ticket for Sweeney Todd
🎭 Sweeney Todd

• When: Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 3PM ET
• Venue: Music Mountain Theater
• Address: 1483 NJ-179, Lambertville, NJ 08530
• Phone: (609) 397-3337
• Total investment: $35 ticket + book + your meal = great conversation with fellow book lovers!

STEP 2: RSVP | Once you've secured your ticket, RSVP here to reserve your discussion spot. Limited to 10 members

STEP 3: READ the book
📚 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street: The String Of Pearls by Thomas Peckett Prest

• Available: $11.99 Amazon
• Pages: 276

STEP 4: The Event! Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 3PM ET
🎭 Sweeney Todd at Music Mountain Theater

• Address: 1483 NJ-179, Lambertville, NJ 08530
• Phone: (609) 397-3337

🍽️ Post-Event Gathering at Under the Moon

• Address: 23 N Union St, Lambertville, NJ 08530
• Phone: (609) 397-1710
• Menu

***

About the Book
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street: The String Of Pearls by Thomas Peckett Prest
The String of Pearls: A Romance is the title of a story first published as a penny part serial 1846-47. The main antagonist of the story is the infamous Sweeney Todd, "the Demon Barber of Fleet Street", who here makes his literary debut.
Reading connection: Reading "The String of Pearls" - the original 1846-47 Victorian penny dreadful that created the Sweeney Todd legend - allows you to experience the dark, sensational source material that inspired all later adaptations, including Sondheim's musical, giving you insight into how the story evolved from Gothic serial fiction to Broadway stage.

***

About the Event
Sweeney Todd at Music Mountain Theatre
Be sure to purchase the Saturday, October 18th 3PM showing
Attend the dark, witty and Tony Award-winning tale of love, murder and revenge set against the backdrop of 19th century London. An infamous tale, Sweeney Todd, an unjustly exiled barber, returns to nineteenth century London, seeking vengeance against the lecherous judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife. The road to revenge leads Todd to Mrs. Lovett, a resourceful proprietress of a failing pie shop, above which, he opens a new barber practice. Mrs. Lovett's luck sharply shifts when Todd's thirst for blood inspires the integration of an ingredient into her meat pies that has the people of London lining up... and the carnage has only just begun!

Note: This production contains depictions of murder, violence, and dark themes that may be unsettling for younger or sensitive audiences.

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Purchase your ticket FIRST, then RSVP on Meetup. Don't RSVP here until you have your ticket secured!

***

LET'S TALK ABOUT...
To get us started:

• Character transformation: How did Sondheim and Wheeler reimagine Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett from Prest's original characters - what personality traits, motivations, and relationships changed, and how do these changes affect our sympathy for the characters?
• Victorian social critique vs. modern themes: Compare Prest's commentary on 1840s London's class divisions, urban corruption, and justice system with Sondheim's focus on alienation, revenge, and moral decay - what does each version say about its era's anxieties?
• Storytelling across mediums: How does the episodic, cliffhanger structure of the original penny dreadful serial compare to the musical's dramatic arc, and which medium better serves the story's themes of obsession and descent into madness?
• Your own reactions, questions, and observations!

🌟 WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS

• Experience stories in multiple dimensions
• Meet fellow literature enthusiasts
• Gain deeper appreciation for both mediums
• Enjoy thought-provoking conversation over great food

***

QUESTIONS?
Check our Rules of Engagement before signing up. Message Heather with any questions.
See you there!

Fri, Oct 24 · 5:30 PM EDT

🎭📚 Book & Theater Pairing: Andy Borowitz: An Evening of Sanity

The Dinky Bar & Restaurant, 94 University Place, Princeton , NJ, US

🎭📚 Book & Theater Pairing: Andy Borowitz: An Evening of Sanity
Experience literature come alive! Read the book, see the performance, discuss pre-show over appetizers and drinks.

Join the Story Seekers for an immersive literary theater experience! We'll read Andy Borowitz's Profiles in Ignorance, have pre-show appetizers and drinks to discuss the book, and then attend the conversation Andy Borowitz: An Evening of Sanity.

📖 Read: Profiles in Ignorance: How America's Politicians Got Dumb and Dumber by Andy Borowitz $11.30 at Amazon
🎭 Attend the show: Andy Borowitz at McCarter Matthews Theater Fri. Oct. 24, 2025 7:30 PM
🍽️ Pre-show Discussion: The Dinky Bar & Kitchen
👥 Limited to: 6 participants for intimate discussion – Tickets are Going FAST!
💰 Total Cost: $49 - $94 + your dinner cost + cost of book
🎟️ Booking: First to pay secures their spot, buy your ticket before signing up please
📚 Reading Deadline: Please finish the book by October 24, 2025 showtime

ALL THE DETAILS:
🎭 THE SHOW
Andy Borowitz: An Evening of Sanity
· Date: Friday, October 24, 2025
· Time: 7:30PM ET
· Website: https://www.mccarter.org/andyborowitz
· Location: 91 University Place, Princeton, NJ 08540
· Phone: 609-258-2787
· Ticket Price: $49 - $94 per person | Buy Tickets
Matthews Theatre
Join celebrated satirist and creator of The Borowitz Report, Andy Borowitz, for an evening of sharp comedy, candid conversation, and audience Q&A. Known for his biting wit and timely insights, Borowitz delivers a hilarious—and much-needed—break from the chaos of the world.
Books will be available before and after the event. Andy will be in the lobby for a meet and greet and book signing after the show.

📖 THE BOOK
Profiles in Ignorance: How America's Politicians Got Dumb and Dumber by Andy Borowitz

• Pages: 336
• Purchase the book: $11.30 at Amazon

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER *WASHINGTON POST BESTSELLER *

Andy Borowitz, “one of the funniest people in America” (CBS Sunday Morning), brilliantly “chronicles our embrace of anti-intellectualism” (Walter Isaacson) in American politics, from Ronald Reagan to Dan Quayle, from George W. Bush to Sarah Palin, to its apotheosis in Donald J. Trump.

Andy Borowitz has been called a “Swiftian satirist” (The Wall Street Journal) and “one of the country’s finest satirists” (The New York Times). Millions of fans and New Yorker readers enjoy his satirical news column “The Borowitz Report.” Now, in Profiles in Ignorance, he delivers “a wittily alarming polemic that tracks the evolution of American politics from grounds for gravitas to festival of idiocy” (The New York Times).

🍽️ PRE-SHOW DISCUSSION
Before the performance, we'll head to The Dinky Bar & Kitchen for appetizers, drinks and an engaging discussion of the book. Come prepared with your thoughts and questions!

• Website: https://www.dinkybarandkitchen.com/
• Menu: https://www.dinkybarandkitchen.com/menus/#food
• Location: 94 University Pl, Princeton, NJ 08540
• Phone: (609) 423-2188

💳 HOW TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT

• Purchase your ticket from the Theater Directly: https://www.mccarter.org/andyborowitz
• Once you have purchased your ticket, sign-up for a spot in Meet-up: please do not sign up for this event in Meetup until you have secured your ticket

📚 DISCUSSION THEMES

• Satire vs. reality: How does Borowitz use humor to make serious political critiques more digestible, and which examples from the book felt more like satire versus actual documented events - where's the line between comedy and journalism?
• The evolution of political intelligence: Trace Borowitz's argument about the decline from Reagan to Trump - do you agree with his timeline and examples, and what factors does he identify as contributing to this "dumbing down" of American politics?
• Bring your own: Themes, Discussion Topics, questions – the above are suggestions only to get our discussion started

❗ The Fine Print

• Book Club Terms & Conditions, by attending the event you agree to the Book club policy and terms & conditions.
• We are making an exception on No Politics Discussion for this event, please be respectful of everyone's thoughts and opinions

🌟 WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS

• Experience stories in multiple dimensions
• Meet fellow literature enthusiasts
• Gain deeper appreciation for both mediums
• Enjoy thought-provoking conversation over great food

Sat, Nov 1 · 5:30 PM EDT

🎭📚 Book & Theater Pairing: Touched with Fire + 300 Paintings

The Dinky Bar & Restaurant, 94 University Place, Princeton , NJ, US

🎭📚 Book & Theater Pairing: Touched with Fire + 300 Paintings
Experience literature come alive! Read the book, pre-performance discussion, see the performance

Join the Story Seekers for an immersive literary theater experience! We'll read Touched with Fire by Kay Redfield Jamison beforehand, attend pre-performance discussion for dinner at The Dinky Bar & Kitchen, then head to the theater performance of 300 Paintings at McCarter Theater.

📖 Read: Touched with Fire by Kay Redfield Jamison $9.65 at Amazon
🎭 Attend the show: 300 Paintings at McCarter Matthews Theater Sat. Nov. 1, 2025 7:30 PM
🍽️ Pre-show Discussion: The Dinky Bar & Kitchen
👥 Limited to: 6 participants for intimate discussion – Tickets are Going FAST!
💰 Total Cost: $36 - $97 + your dinner cost + cost of book
🎟️ Booking: First to pay secures their spot, buy your ticket before signing up please
📚 Reading Deadline: Please finish the book by November 1, 2025 showtime
ALL THE DETAILS:
🎭 THE SHOW
300 Paintings

• Date: Saturday, November 1, 2025
• Time: 7:30PM ET
• Website: https://www.mccarter.org/300paintings
• Location: 91 University Place, Princeton, NJ 08540
• Phone: 609-258-2787
• Ticket Price: $36 - $97 per person | Buy Tickets

Matthews Theatre
Direct from a critically acclaimed off-Broadway run – LIMITED ENGAGEMENT, one week only!
In 2021, Sydney comedian Sam Kissajukian quit standup, rented an abandoned cake factory, and spent six months in a manic whirlwind, creating 300 large-scale paintings, unknowingly documenting his mental state through the process. In this hilarious, fascinating, and wildly original show, Kissajukian brings audiences on a rollercoaster ride that explores the ties between art, mental health, and creativity.
Stay after the show to meet Sam and view his incredible paintings in a curated lobby exhibition.
📖 THE BOOK
Touched with Fire by Kay Redfield Jamison $9.65 at Amazon
Why this pairing works: "Touched with Fire" explores the scientific and historical connections between manic-depressive illness and artistic creativity, providing psychological context for understanding Kissajukian's "manic whirlwind" of creating 300 paintings and how mental health states can fuel extraordinary creative output.

• Pages: 384
• Purchase the book: $9.65 at Amazon

The definitive work on the profound and surprising links between manic-depression and creativity, from the bestselling psychologist of bipolar disorders who wrote An Unquiet Mind.

One of the foremost psychologists in America, “Kay Jamison is plainly among the few who have a profound understanding of the relationship that exists between art and madness” (William Styron).

The anguished and volatile intensity associated with the artistic temperament was once thought to be a symptom of genius or eccentricity peculiar to artists, writers, and musicians. Her work, based on her study as a clinical psychologist and researcher in mood disorders, reveals that many artists subject to exalted highs and despairing lows were in fact engaged in a struggle with clinically identifiable manic-depressive illness.
🍽️ PRE-SHOW DISCUSSION
Before the performance, we'll head to The Dinky Bar & Kitchen for appetizers, drinks and an engaging discussion of the book. Come prepared with your thoughts and questions!

• Website: https://www.dinkybarandkitchen.com/
• Menu: https://www.dinkybarandkitchen.com/menus/#food
• Location: 94 University Pl, Princeton, NJ 08540
• Phone: (609) 423-2188

💳 HOW TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT

• Purchase your ticket from the Theater Directly: https://www.mccarter.org/andyborowitz
• Once you have purchased your ticket, sign-up for a spot in Meet-up: please do not sign up for this event in Meetup until you have secured your ticket

📚 DISCUSSION THEMES

• The creativity-madness connection: What evidence does Jamison present for the link between manic-depressive illness and artistic achievement - which historical examples were most compelling, and do you find her scientific arguments convincing?
• The treatment dilemma: Explore Jamison's discussion of whether medication might diminish creativity - what are the ethical implications of this debate, and how should society balance artistic genius with individual wellbeing?
• Patterns of manic creativity: According to Jamison's research, what characteristics define manic creative periods versus "normal" creative work - how does she describe the intensity, productivity, and quality of art created during different mental states?

❗ The Fine Print

• Book Club Terms & Conditions, by attending the event you agree to the Book club policy and terms & conditions.

🌟 WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS

• Experience stories in multiple dimensions
• Meet fellow literature enthusiasts
• Gain deeper appreciation for both mediums
• Enjoy thought-provoking conversation over great food