Chairs
Description
Chairs by ITSAZOO Productions
Playwright: Sebastien Archibald
Director: Chelsea Haberlin
A tribal allegory featuring a unique blend of live action, flash animation and found-sound musicscape. Drawing inspiration from the theatrical existentialism of Samuel Beckett and serving it up for the sardonic, hipster generation, Chairs follows the trials and tribulations of three men as they attempt to build a civilized existence for themselves in a barren wasteland. They enjoy a hilariously uneventful life full of equality and boredom until one man steps forward and does the unthinkable... he builds a giant chair! With his newfound power position he can survey the land, dictate orders, and offer keen insights about the world around them. But how long can he abuse his authority before the seeds of rebellion are sowed? And what untold horrors lay beyond the wasteland?
Praise
"Ok, so Chairs is either post-apocalypse or neolithic, but where knowledge of fine furniture is surprisingly common... It’s the history of Capitalism in an hour and a half and it’s riotous fun."
— Chris Felling, Culture Vulture (Victoria)
Company
"ITSAZOO Productions has no trouble attracting that elusive group of theatergoers: the 20-somethings.”
—Jo Ledingham, The Vancouver Courier
ITSAZOO Productions is a non-profit incorporated society and registered charity that Thinks Outside the Cage. This means that we have a mandate to: 1) Create opportunities for emerging artists, providing new and challenging experiences through paid professional work; 2) Inspire other theatre practitioners by producing progressive theatre outside the traditional playhouse setting; 3) Present theatre to a younger and more diverse audience by making innovative and unparalleled productions affordable to a wide demographic and 4) Produce new Canadian plays and adaptations that entertain and inspire theatre practitioners and audiences alike.
ITSAZOO consists of three co-artistic directors: Sebastien Archibald, Chelsea Haberlin, and Colby Wilson, each of whom is a graduate of the University of Victoria Theatre Program. Since 2004, ITSAZOO has produced nine full-length works including seven Canadian premieres. The company has developed a reputation for productions that feature provocative writing, and display the talent of emerging Canadian playwrights. In 2008, upon ITSAZOO’s arrival in Vancouver, they were named the Westender’s favourite new company.
Credits
- Director – Chelsea Haberlin
- Playwright – Sebastien Archibald
- Stage Manager – Anthony Liam Kearns
- Man 1 – Colby Wilson
- Man 2 – Cameron Anderson
- Man 3 – Sebastien Archibald
- Costume Designer – Meredith Grantier
- Set/Props Designer – Kyle Sutherland
- Lighting Designer – Mark Eugster
- Sound Designer – Chris Adams
- Video Designer – John Crossen
- Dramaturgy - Melanie Moore (411 Dramatrugy Co)
Chelsea Haberlin - Director
Chelsea is Co-Artistic Director, and General Manager of ITSAZOO productions, a company she co-founded in 2004. Favourite directing credits with ITSAZOO include Robin Hood, The Road to Canterbury, Grimm Tales, Casualties of Progress, Death of a Clown, Alice in Wonderland, A Midsummer Nights Dream and The Zoo Story. Directing projects outside of ITSAZOO include The Ends of the Earth with Medical students at UBC, The Scarecrow for Spectral theatre and an adaptation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm with inmates at the William Head Penitentiary. Chelsea is a graduate of the University of Victoria with a degree in Theatre with a specialization in Applied Theatre and Directing. In the fall of 2011 Chelsea will be entering the MFA Directing Program at UBC.
Sebastien Archibald – Playwright / Man 3
Sebastien is a Vancouver based actor, playwright, and director as well as Co-Artistic Director of ITSAZOO Productions. He was last seen starring in Death of a Clown (2008 Theatre BC's National Playwriting Competition Finalist) this past October presented by the Phoenix Theatre as part of their Spotlight on Alumni . He recently wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed outdoor modern adaption of Robin Hood (Queen Elizabeth Park/Gabriola Theatre Festival). For ITSAZOO he has written and performed in The Road To Canterbury, Grimm Tales, Casualties of Progress, and now Chairs: A Parable. Other recent acting credits include David Hare's The Vertical Hour (United Players) and Charlotte's Webb (Kaleidescope). His most recent directing credit was the critically acclaimed Baggage (part of the Four Course Meal Theatre Festival). Playwriting accolades include Monday Magazine "M" Award for Best New Play for Grimm Tales, and the Belfry Incubator Project for Casualties of Progress. Sebastien is a graduate of the Phoenix Theatre where he honned his skills in shows such as Guys and Dolls and Janet Munsil's That Elusive Spark.
Colby Wilson - Man 1
Colby Wilson is one of the founders and Co-Artistic Directors of ITSAZOO Productions. Favourite ITSAZOO credits include Robin Hood, The Road to Canterbury, The Zoo Story, Death of a Clown, Bridge Mix 2010 and Grimm Tales (M Award for Favourite Actor). Other credits include Kiss the Moon, Kiss the Sun (Theatre Northwest), Sharing Shakespeare with Anthony Holland (No Bells and Whistles), Zastrozzi (Enlightenment), Aladdin (Kaleidoscope), and Charlotte’s Web (Kaleidoscope). Colby can also be seen in Supernatural (CW), The Break Up Artist (Legacy), Girlfriend Experience (Mongrel), The Middleman (ABC), The Party Never Stops (Lifetime), Psych (USA), She’s the Man (SKG) and Smallville (CW).
Cameron Anderson - Man 2
Cameron recently appeared as Dr. Olson in The Cabinet Of Doctor Caligari in the Victoria Fringe Festival, and as Juror #12 in Twelve Angry Men for Hardline Productions. He has appeared in past ITSAZOO shows Grimm Tales and Casualties Of Progress. He is an Artistic Associate of ITSAZOO, and a graduate of the University of Victoria.
