A scene from the play The Witnesses being performed at the Bratton Theater at Chautauqua Institution. Submitted photo

CHAUTAUQUA – While an apocalyptic plague rages on, five people unite in their weekly support group to forge a sanctuary of care and companionship.

Centering on the darkly funny and wildly magnetic Millicent and her chosen family of misfits, The Witnesses explores the undeniable physical urge for human connection.

The play, produced by the Chautauqua Theater Company, and directed by Jade King Carroll, compels people to question not only if people can change, but if people have time to do so while the world appears to be ending.

Infused with playwright C.A. Johnson’s brutal honesty, exacting humor, and heartfelt exploration of human relationships, the story pulses with urgency, vulnerability and unexpected warmth.

Johnson is a Brooklyn-based playwright originally from Metairie, Louisiana. Her plays include All The Natalie Portmans, Thirst, The Climb, InterAct Theatre Company), An American Feast, I Know I Know I Know, and Somebody’s Body.

Carroll is the Producing Artistic Director of the CTC. She is a distinguished director specializing in new play development. She has fostered emerging writers at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Roundabout Theatre Company, and the Lincoln Center Institute.

“Since my original commission in 2022,

Jade and her team have supported every iteration of The Witnesses,” Johnson said. “To say I’m excited is an understatement! More than anything, though, I am grateful for what this production represents. Every playwright wants to know a company is committed to their voice, but at Chautauqua, I feel an even deeper commitment to lifelong artistic curiosity. I can’t imagine a better first home for this play and look forward to the work ahead.”

In an interview with the Chautauqua Daily, Carroll said that when she stepped into her role at CTC, she wanted to provide a space for emerging playwrights to commit time and energy to their craft and make CTC a space for new works. As director, she started a commissioning program in which playwrights are granted time to write, time to workshop the script and time to fully produce the play.

“With this play, C.A. is sharing her true power as a playwright, inviting us to delve into what it means to be alive,” Carroll said in a prepared statement. “She is expanding upon her remarkable talent for navigating effortlessly between realism and the surreal. I cannot wait to share this compelling world premiere as part of Chautauqua Theater Company’s 2025 season.”

The cast includes Nicholas Byers as Caleb, Fig Chilcott as Emmanuelle, Daniel Pearce as John, Alicia Pilgrim as Tori, and Nedra Marie Taylor as Millicent.

The performance, at the Bratton Theater, contains strong language and discussions of illness and death. It is recommended for audiences ages 13 and older.

For more information, visit chq.org.