Eugène Ionesco’s ‘The Chairs’ to Open at Shakespeare & Company
Performances Run October 8 through 31
Buy Tickets Here
Shakespeare & Company closes out its 2021 season with The Chairs. Written by Eugène Ionesco and directed by James Warwick, the production will run October 8 through 31.
An absurdist play of the first order by a master innovator of the genre. In a house on an island, a very old couple pass their time collecting and inventorying chairs while sharing half-remembered stories. With brilliant eccentricity, Ionesco’s ‘tragic farce’ combines a comic portrait of human folly with a magical experiment in theatrical possibilities.
James Warwick has had a successful career on both sides of the Atlantic. He has played many leading roles in London’s West End and on Broadway. He became a U.S. resident 25 years ago. Since then, he has acted in, or directed, regional theatre and touring productions in every single state in America. James has received BAFTA, Spotlight, Helen Hayes, Berkshire Eagle and Ovation awards for his theatre and television work. James starred in many series for PBS Masterpiece Theatre, most notably playing Tommy in Partners in Crime, recently digitally remastered and reissued on Britbox and Amazon Prime. In 2018, he directed Mothers and Sons for Shakespeare & Company and received the Outstanding Director Award from Berkshire Theatre Critics Association. In 2019, he directed The Children, also for Shakespeare & Company, and recorded many audiobooks, receiving an Audiophile Award last year.
This production of The Chairs features Elizabeth Ingram as the Old Woman and Malcolm Ingram as the Old Man, with Hope Rose Kelly as Stage Manager and Jadzia “JJ” Devis as Assistant Stage Manager.
The Chairs will be performed at the Tina Packer Playhouse. Masks are required of all attendees while indoors.
Shakespeare & Company takes the safety of its guests, artists, and staff seriously. At all performances, audiences will be required to wear masks where required, socially distance, adhere to state public health recommendations, and abide by all rules outlined in the COVID-19 Code of Courtesy.
For more information on Shakespeare & Company, please visit www.shakespeare.org.
The Chairs
By Eugène Ionesco
Directed by James Warwick
October 8 to 31
Tina Packer Playhouse
An absurdist play of the first order by a master innovator of the genre. In a house on an island, a very old couple pass their time collecting and inventorying chairs while sharing half-remembered stories. With brilliant eccentricity, Ionesco’s ‘tragic farce’ combines a comic portrait of human folly with a magical experiment in theatrical possibilities.
About Shakespeare & Company
Located in the beautiful Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, Shakespeare & Company is one of the leading Shakespeare festivals of the world. Founded in 1978, the organization welcomes more than 40,000 patrons annually. The Company is also home to an internationally renowned Center for Actor Training and award-winning Education Program. Learn more at www.shakespeare.org.
