Most people probably don’t think of a play about a snooty bunch of people in a book club being all that much of a comedy, but it is at Actors’ Summit, a Knight Arts grantee, where Karen Zacarias’ “The Book Club Play” is being performed.

For one thing, the hilarity comes out of the characters, who seem like stock or cliché types – the oh-so-lofty, self-proclaimed head of the club named Ana (played by Sally Groth), who only reads mighty works of art from dead writers; her husband, Robert (played by Keith Stevens), who watches the movie versions of books and is generally there for the wine and snacks; a friend, William (played by Scott Shriner), who attends, well, presumably because he’s a friend (although the real reason is revealed later); and still other characters with their own reasons for joining the group.

Although seemingly flat characters, these ones have depth, which, with great amusement, becomes obvious during the course of the play. The story unfolds over the course of several weeks at book club meetings, as the group, at Ana’s insistence, takes part in a reality-based documentary for a highly-heralded and award-winning producer. The camera is perched aloft in one corner of the room, trained on them, exposing group dynamics as well as searching for subtle changes in character because of the experience each person is going through.

Actors’ Summit, “The Book Club Play,” cast. Photo courtesy of Actors’ Summit

After the group discusses the value of art and reading, they focus on how books can have a major impact on a person. These characters have not had that experience – yet. But the changes come. For example, once the husband finally reads a book, Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence, he is blown away by the idea of an abundant and strongly emotional life in face of a world that denies that. His transformation shows through actor Stevens’ acting.

Getting sideswiped by literature also occurs to the friend, William. The group has protracted dialogue (and, in some cases, strong arguments) about what constitutes art and literature after a disillusioned comparative literature professor moves in on the club and wants to get away from the concept of high art. They agree to read Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code, after which William undergoes a complete life change when reading the spellbinding, cliffhanging plot about discovering hidden secrets that lurk in the world and sometimes in our lives. No spoilers for this one either; you need to go see the play.

What gets played out in the drama is the notion that art, that literature, that the experience of art can have profound effects on your life. Ana, as the head of the club, always espoused that idea, but she meant it only in the sense that one would be transformed by the glorious way writers captured the essence of a fictional character’s life in writing, never thinking that it works that way on real people in their own lives.

Ana is undone by discovering that the people she thought she knew and therefore “allowed” to come into the club were, in fact, much different. A great many laughs come from her reaction, and actress Groth goes for them all with the kind of theatrical histrionics you’ll delight in watching. She serves as the emotional lightning rod for all the wonderfully little nasty secrets in the lives of others that she had no idea about.

Groth stands out because of her primary role and her ability with it, but all the actors – Danea Rhodes as Lily; Rachel Gelhert as Jennifer; Bob Keefe as Alex, the professor; and Tom Stephan as the announcer, as well as Stevens and Shriner – create a strong ensemble of comic actors. The group seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves as the zaniness of the plot came undone during a performance on opening weekend.

The set is appropriately bookish. The play takes place in Ana and Robert’s apartment, with the back wall designed with a range of bookshelves that’s nearly overpowering, while comfortable living room furniture literally sets the stage for a nice, sedate evening of discussing books.

If you’ve ever been in a book club, you’ll recognize this one and the characters in it. If you haven’t, come and see how lively the tensions can be.

The play has one 10-minute intermission.

Karen Zacarias’ “The Book Club Play” is being performed at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sundays, through March 15, at Greystone Hall, 103 S. High St., Akron; 330-374-7568; www.actorssummit.org. Tickets are $33 ($28 for seniors and $10 for full-time students).