What is 19 Chairs?

19 Chairs is Shades of Orange's monthly play reading series. It is a casual, inclusive space which invites participants to engage with both iconic and underperformed scripts they may or may not be familiar with. Attendees can choose how large— or small!— a role they want, but character selection is otherwise entirely random, giving everyone the opportunity to experience the story from a new perspective. Everyone who attends a 19 Chairs reading is asked to participate. These readings have no audience because they are meant to be a space with no judgement. Shades of Orange hopes to create a chance for people to play with characters and language without the pressure of performance.

No audience. No pressure. Just fun.

19 Chairs: June 2026