To stage a play, it doesn鈥檛 take massive sets dropping from the rafters or perfect period piece costumes. Sometimes, all it takes is a simple chair.
That鈥檚 the starting point for The Chair Series, being staged by Between Shifts Theatre at the Brackendale Art Gallery this weekend.
The play is the work of North Shore playwright John McGie and is being produced by Kathy Daniels.
鈥淭his is a whole evening of all original works,鈥� said Daniels, who is also one of the cast members. 鈥淭his is like the premiere. None of this stuff has been done before.鈥�
The play consists of interchangeable pieces that McGie has written for each specific actor. 鈥淗e met the actors before he would write a piece for them,鈥� she said.聽
The Chair Series is theatre at its most fundamental level, with no large props, costumes, makeup or set. The only devices are chairs for each actor and some sound to augment the story, so the actors have to rely on their craft and the script that McGie has written. The actors, all from Vancouver or Squamish, perform either monologues or two-handers 鈥� pieces for two characters.聽
鈥淓ach piece can stand on its own, but also you can join them very nicely together to create a scene,鈥� Daniels said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we call it 鈥楲ego鈥� theatre鈥�. You can put it together how you like.鈥�
The sections are interchangeable, and where each piece is placed depends on factors like how many actors take part on a given night, the desired running time or the desired feel of the show for the performance 鈥� for example, whether it should be heavy or comedic.聽
鈥淒epending on how you put them together, you could create a theme,鈥� she said.
Along the lines of fringe fest shows, the play is also designed to travel easily, as the props are limited to chairs and only a tech person is needed to handle lights and sound.聽
鈥淥riginally, it was The Chair Project, now it鈥檚 The Chair Series,鈥� Daniels said.
The show can play anywhere from a full theatre to a living room, but the group has set plans for the upcoming performances.
鈥淲e certainly have a lineup of what we鈥檙e going to be doing for Squamish,鈥� Daniels said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 predetermined, for sure.鈥�
Work on The Chair Series started last fall after auditions in Vancouver in late summer.聽
鈥淭he group has morphed and grown,鈥� Daniels said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 nine of us.鈥�
Along with Daniels, the core group includes Squamish鈥檚 Amy Reid, Christine Gavin-Bartlett and Marilyn McVey, along with Vancouver actors Jacques Lalonde, David C. Jones, Sarah Dawn Pledge, Malcolm Stead and Ward Ashley.
Daniels is excited about working with McGie, a writer who has had a piece at the famed Edinburgh International Festival and also does sound and lighting for theatre productions.
鈥淗e鈥檚 done some really edgy, kind of multimedia pieces,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 always the go-to guy if you want to do something really different.鈥�
The Chair Series takes place at the Brackendale Art Gallery on Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m. Running time is approximately 70 minutes, and there will be an intermission. The show includes adult themes and some coarse language.聽
For more information, see betweenshiftstheatre.com.聽
