The immersive play “Dirty Books” explores the lives of writers who faced anti-obscenity laws in 1960s America while creating erotic literature that was sold in hidden bookstores and underground businesses. The production, created and directed by Mara Lieberman through her company Bated Breath, runs through Feb. 28 in New York City.
Lieberman’s previous theatrical works include “Voyeur: The Windows of Toulouse-Lautrec,” “Chasing Andy Warhol,” and “The Pride of Christopher Street.” She said the show has built momentum through word-of-mouth, comparing opening a theatrical production to launching a restaurant that requires time to find its audience.
The concept originated in 2018 when Lieberman envisioned an audience collectively writing an erotic story. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed development until colleagues encouraged her to pursue the project after she returned from La MaMa Umbria’s Directors Symposium.
Rather than relying on elaborate set design, the production creates immersion by disrupting traditional relationships between audience, actors and space. Attendees experience what Lieberman describes as moving through a journey rather than simply watching a performance.
The play incorporates a devising period where the Bated Breath ensemble generates material collaboratively. Lieberman draws inspiration from European “auteur” directing models that combine writing and directing as a unified creative process.
Lieberman draws parallels between historical anti-obscenity laws and contemporary book bans, noting that current restrictions often target texts centering marginalized voices. She describes modern book removals as more alarming than historical censorship due to their casual implementation with minimal justification.
The production follows a character whose personal story unfolds alongside changing social attitudes, examining how much progress society has actually made regarding freedom of expression. Bated Breath Theatre Company aims to create experiences that make audiences feel they matter through metaphor, physical storytelling and participatory elements.
