W department chairs star in ‘The Chairs’
The theatre department at Mississippi University for Women is excited to present Eugene Ionesco’s classic, absurd masterpiece, “The Chairs.”
A tragic farce, the production is about an old man and old woman who live in a tower on an island. They are planning for a meeting that evening where the old man has hired an orator to deliver his message to the world that will save humanity. Guests soon start arriving and the couple bring in more and more chairs for them to sit on. As the guests arrive, and the room fills with chairs, the audience will notice immediately something odd about both the chairs and the guests. Here, you will have to see the show to find out.
What sets this production apart is that the Old Woman is played by Dr. Julia Mortyakova, chair of the music department at The W, and the Old Man is played by David Carter, professor and chair of the theatre department. This is Mortyakova’s second theatrical production, and it marks Carter’s acting debut on The W’s stage after more than 24 years serving as designer and technical director.
The play is directed by assistant professor Kathy Newman.
“The Chairs” opens Thursday April 3, at 8 p.m. as part of Homecoming weekend and continues Friday, April 4, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 5, at 7 p.m. The location is the Cromwell Communications Black Box Theatre, on the corner of 10th Street andSixth Avenue South.
The running time is approximately one hour without an intermission and admission is free.
There will be a half-hour audience Q & A after the performance on Friday.