The Chairs – A play by Eugène Ionesco translated by Donald M. Allen
Friday October 2, doors at 7:30PM and show at 8 PM
To help make your night as easy and enjoyable as possible, here is what you need to know before heading out:
- Location: Avening Community Hall (3401 County Road 42, Creemore/Avening)
- Doors Open: 7:30 p.m. Jill and Lisa will be at the door to welcome you. Please have your tickets ready to scan, or just let them know the name your tickets were purchased under.
- Parking: Parking is available right at the hall, but spots fill up fast. We strongly recommend carpooling if you can. If the main area is full, you are welcome to park on the grass—just please park considerately so there’s room for everyone.
- Refreshments & Snacks: Come as soon as doors open and grab a drink. Tammy from Chin Chin will be on-site with a cash/card bar serving wine, Creemore Springs beer, and non-alcoholic options, alongside a few light snacks for purchase. We’d love for you to join us to sip and mingle before the show.
- Seating & Comfort: The hall’s classic wooden chairs have a lot of charm, but if you’re concerned about comfort, feel free to bring your own cushion. For the sake of the show the actors request that you do not sit on the benches.
- Showtime: The play runs around an hour with no intermission.
If you or anyone in your party require accessibility accommodations, contact sara@creemore.com in advance or just give our front-of-house team a heads-up when you arrive.
If you have any questions at all before tomorrow night, feel free to reach out to Sara at sara@creemore.com or 705-888-5139.
Creemore Festival of the Arts will host a profound and haunting production of Eugène Ionesco’s “The Chairs” on Friday, October 2. Translated by Donald M. Allen, this seminal work of the Theatre of the Absurd remains one of the most daring explorations of the human condition ever written.
Set in a lighthouse on a remote, water-locked island, the play follows an elderly couple as they prepare for a monumental evening. One character believes they have finally unlocked a “profound message” that will save humanity, and a league of invisible dignitaries has been invited to hear this discovery. As the couple frantically arranges chairs for these non-existent guests, the stage becomes a cluttered labyrinth of emptiness, mirroring desperate attempts to find meaning in a world that offers none.
This production is anchored by a powerhouse creative team. Starring the formidable Erika Batdorf and Anastasia Phillips, the performance promises a masterclass in physical theatre and emotional depth. Batdorf, a celebrated movement specialist, and Phillips, a Gemini-nominated actor, bring a unique chemistry to the couple’s spiraling delusions. Under the direction of the award-winning Karin Randoja, the play’s “tragic farce” elements are brought to the forefront, balancing slapstick humor with the poignant loneliness of aging.
Presented by the Purple Hills Arts & Heritage Society, this performance is a highlight of the festival’s weekend-long celebration of creativity. By placing Ionesco’s avant-garde masterpiece within the intimate, rustic walls of Avening Hall, the production creates a visceral sense of isolation and intimacy. It is a rare opportunity for local audiences to experience world-class, thought-provoking theatre that asks the ultimate question: in the silence of the void, what is left of us?
Avening Hall 3401 Cty Rd 42, Creemore. In the Village of Avening