This Is a Chair Book

Perhaps I'm in the minority here--seemed like most readers understood and appreciated the concept but didn't enjoy the execution. I loved the concept and thought it was executed to perfection. I love the odd juxtapositions of major world news with the seeming minutiae that act as "big news" in our daily lives. While some are dealing with violence in Northern Ireland or ethnic wars in Bosnia, others are trying to get by with seemingly smaller concerns (a child who won't eat dinner, getting stood up on a date, or a sister on drugs). The play puts into poignant relief how small our lives can seem on the world stage and how ridiculous are our daily concerns. But I also think it works the other way. The things we're dealing with on a daily basis ARE big news to us in the moment and can temporarily eclipse "bigger news" in that particular moment in our lives. If contemporary theater's job is to provoke thought, emotion, and reaction in the audience, I'd say this small gem from Churchill succeeds on all counts.