The Chairs

The Chairs Summary | Detailed Summary

The Chairs is a one-act play featuring a husband and wife, both in their late 90s, who host an event to which people will come to hear the old man's wisdom. The people are invisible but the man and woman can be seen and engage in conversations with them. The setting for the play is a bare stage with a circular wall at the back that contains several doors and windows. Two chairs sit side-by-side facing the audience. As the lights go up, the old man is seen looking out a window and his wife implores him to get down from the height because it is dangerous.

The man and woman live on an island and the man loves looking out to the sea. He reluctantly agrees to join his wife and takes a seat on her lap. She encourages him to entertain her with his old stories, as she has done for many years. Although his profession is not one of a high position, he is a very learned man and his wife bolsters his self-esteem by reminding him of his mental prowess.

The man's mental state is volatile and he weeps for his mother as he thinks about the missed opportunities in his life. Comforting him like a child, his wife assumes the role of mother and reminds her husband of his special role on earth and the importance of tonight's meeting. This reminder is all the man needs to compose himself, for the time has come to share his special message with the world.

The imminent event strikes some terror in the old man and he wonders if he will be competent enough to deliver the message with authority. He then remembers that he has hired a professional Orator for the evening and his temper improves.

Incredulous that the important evening has finally arrived, the wife reminds her husband of his genius for thought, not necessarily details. A list of those invited soothes her anxiety as he reels off all the important people from all the physical and spiritual realms who will attend. Thanks to his wife and the Orator, all the joy and suffering of the man's life will soon be revealed.

The first guest to arrive is a young, well-dressed woman who is guided to one of the chairs already in place. The old man and woman engage in pleasantries with the invisible young woman. An intense ringing of the doorbell, announcing the arrival of the Field Marshal, who is also invisible, interrupts their conversation.

Soon after the introductions, it becomes clear that the Field Marshal is making inappropriate overtures to the young woman. Their embarrassment at his behavior prompts the old man to stop the Field Marshal's behavior with a gun if it should come to that.

Once more, the doorbell announces more guests, this time the Fabled Beauty and her ugly husband. It is soon obvious that the old man had had a relationship with this woman at one time and the feeling is still there. The arrival of the Offset lithographer counterbalances the old man's indiscretion, when it is revealed that the old woman had had an affair with their latest guest.

The old woman's behavior dips into an area, which is beyond coquettish, and it is clear from her vulgar actions that she and the Offset lithographer are sharing some inappropriate behavior in view of the other guests. The old woman soon drops this fazade and shares with her ex-lover the indignities she has suffered as the wife of a janitor who now thinks of her as his mother.

At this point, the old man and the old woman answer questions put to them by their guests about any children they may have had. According to the old woman, their son ran away when he was only seven; the old man says they never had any children, which is regrettable because his wife has such wonderful nurturing instincts.

Regretfully, the old man admits to being a terrible son and having let his own mother die in a ditch. The memory of her pleas still haunts him and he could never find the place of her burial when he returned. The experience left him with an excruciating pain that he can feel when others cannot.

At this point, more guests begin to arrive. Overwhelmed by the noise from arriving boats and the incessant doorbell, the old man directs his guests while the woman scurries to find more chairs.

The scene takes on an almost carnival-like atmosphere, with the old couple hawking candies and programs. Everyone awaits the Orator so that the evening can begin and the old man's thoughts can finally be shared. Suddenly, trumpets sound and a bright light signals the arrival of the Emperor, His Majesty the King of Kings.

Weeping with emotion, the old man is humbled to have such a noble guest at his home for this event. Pushing through the crowd to reach the divine presence, the old man grumbles about the sycophants delaying his paying homage to the most important guest of all. Proud yet humble, the old man shares some of his life's anguish and is relieved that the Savior has honored him with His presence and the hope of forgiveness of his sins.

At last, the din stops as the Orator, who is a "real" person, appears in the room. Well aware of his worth, the Orator moves to assume his position of importance at the rostrum, stopping briefly to sign autographs for the audience that has now swelled to standing room only.

Overwhelmed by the presence of the Orator, the King of Kings, and all the other people who have gathered, the old man begins to thank those who have been a part of his life. His profound gratitude reaches even to those who poured the foundation for the very house in which they now sit.

At last, the old man finishes and calls upon the Orator to continue, the old couple having come to the end of their journey. Thanking each other in turn, the old man and woman bemoan the fact that they cannot be buried together but at least they have the comfort of knowing that they die at the same time. With one last plea to the Orator, the old man and his wife jump to their deaths from separate windows into the water below.

Now the Orator moves to address the crowd, and it is obvious that he is a deaf-mute able to mutter only guttural sounds. Unable to communicate verbally to the crowd, the Orator uses the blackboard to share his message: "ANGELS WEEP." Frustrated by more of his guttural sounds, the Orator is able to write "GOD IS GONE." The audience does not respond in the manner he had expected, so the Orator petulantly leaves the room. Soon after his departure, the sounds of human voices are heard, the volume gradually increasing as the curtain falls on the scene.