The Chairs

Runde, in her first production for STAGEStheatre, is a longtime fan of this masterpiece. Though rarely performed, Runde is at once intrigued and challenged by the work. “We’re creating a production that honors the comic as much as the tragic present in the text. While it’s tempting to favor the dark over the light in interpreting Ionesco’s work, the light is how we reveal the dark and make it less threatening. For me, the catharsis this laughter brings is beyond any Greek tragedy.”

Although written in 1952, The Chairs did not run on Broadway until 1998, earning several Tony Award nominations. One of Ionesco's most popular plays, The Chairs was first performed in Paris. It was soon praised for its unique style and became a defining example of Theatre of the Absurd -- a literary philosophy that emphasized the absurdity and futility of the human condition.