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THE CHAIRS
by Eugene Ionesco
Translated by Donald M. Allen
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Directed by GEORGE GLASS
In The Chairs, an elderly couple prepares for a mysterious event, setting out chairs for guests who will soon arrive. As they engage in surreal conversations, the couple reveals deeply hidden truths, exposing the absurdity and fragility of human existence. Ionesco's striking blend of humor and pathos offers a powerful reflection on the quest for significance in an increasingly disconnected world.
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CAST & CHARACTERS
OLD MAN - Nathaniel P. Claridad*
OLD WOMAN - Nairoby Otero*
THE ORATOR - Jack Utrata*
* These Actors are appearing courtesy of the Actors' Equity Association.” Publicity and programs must also include the phrase “Equity approved Showcase.”
Meet The Cast
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About Ionesco
In his plays, Eugène Ionesco (1909-1994) makes caricatures of his characters, pushes dramatic action into ridiculousness, and dramatizes the absurdity of communication. His plays are not didactic, but are meant to present a vision of life that is both entertaining and enlightening. While Ionesco did enjoy acting in plays as a child and enjoyed Punch and Judy puppet shows (which would later influence his own plays), he did not enjoy the theater at first, feeling that the fictional world of the play clashed with the reality of the live performers. Instead, Ionesco established himself as a writer and wrote satirical essays including Hugoliade, or The Grotesque and Tragic Life of Victor Hugo, which ridicules the titular author in an 'antibiography.' Ionesco came to theatre later in life, 'accidently' as he would say, when learning English through a primer. While repeatedly copying down sentences, Ionesco discovered a 'tragedy of language' through the conversations of the fictional characters Mr. and Mrs. Smith who were featured in the primer. These conversations were so full of cliché that they were devoid of any meaning. This discovery lead to Ionesco's first full length play, originally titled English Made Easy, to reflect its educational origins, later changed to The Bald Soprano (1948). He then became one of the most productive absurdist playwrights, writing further plays such as The Lesson (1951), The Chairs (1952), and Rhinoceros (1959).
SPECIAL THANKS
Susannah Bohlke, Vincent Byrne, Tats Claridad, Maureen Corrigan, Crystal DeMey, Katherine A Early, Kenneth Finkle, Robert Fowler, Brenda Gelles, Nicole Gut, Natasha Ippolito, Deborah Lopez, Annabelle Smith, Richard Spitaletta, Antonio Suarez.
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Jan Brady, Balance Arts Center, Material for the Arts, Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, Friend.
"The Chairs" is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
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Fiscal Sponsor: New York Women in Film & Television, Inc.
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If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to our production, you may do so here: https://nywift.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/nywift/donation.jsp