Former nobleman Ippolit Mateyevich Vorobyaninov’s dreary life in the early Soviet Union is about to change forever when he discovers his spiteful mother-in-law hid the family jewels in one of their dining room chairs before the Revolution. Together with a dashing con artist, Vorobyaninov must embark on an epic quest across Russia to recover the lost riches. Based on the 1928 novel by Ilya Ilf & Evgeny Petrov, 12 Chairs is an epic adventure satire exploring glory, greed, and a country desperate for the advancement of the collective good. It is a commentary on the Soviet Union and nothing else. Yeah, nothing else. You can’t prove otherwise, you haven’t even seen it. Wow, maybe you should see the play before contradicting us, you ever think about that? Wow. There’s always one. Do better.
Developed at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference
As part of a one-month workshop with the O’Neill, the play received a week-long workshop, culminating in public readings on 4 + 6 July 2024.
Photos by Emma Brown + the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center.
Audio Version
As the inaugural Radio Roots Fellow for The Parsnip Ship, I developed an audio version of 12 Chairs, with dramaturgy from Gabriella Steinberg and Al Parker. The play was recorded for The Parsnip Ship at the Mark O’Donnell Theater on 12 June 2023 – it was directed by Charlotte Murray and featured Brandon Bogle, Amanda Centeno, Arielle Gonzalez, Ben Langhorst, Angel Lin, and Frankie Placidi. Produced by Iyvon E. and Al Parker. Musical performance by Mike O’Malley. Sound design by Nina Field.
