As homage to the beautifully designed grounds at Seattle Center, The Chair Spectacle, choreographed by Pat Graney with architectural design by Batt and Lear Design/Build, will feature 300-500 people dancing in, on and around red chairs. Based on Rudolph Laban’s large-scale ‘Movement Choirs’ which featured hundreds of people moving in unison, this work will be an amazing half-hour spectacle. Performers will range in age from 10-80, drawing from our culturally rich and diverse Seattle area population. Don’t miss the opening day performances on April 21!

It’s a monumental evening in just about every aspect, from the years-in-the-making works from 1991, 1995, and 2001; to the manipulation of time and space; to the ways women see themselves (or not), and feel embodied. There’s spectacle in stagecraft (Jeff Gerson’s sand- and rice-falls, and transforming table; Ellen Fullman’s sound skirts, pictured above; and a large alligator comfortable enough to sleep on designed by Carla Wesson and built by Marilyn Lysohir) and in concept (the “living Caravaggios” of Faith, the full body art of Tattoo).

Where to begin with choreographer Pat Graney? Maybe with her exterior: She grew up as the daughter of a Chicago detective, listened to "Crimson and Clover" over and over, and now wears jeans and sneakers with an unself-conscious grace that's hard to find in anyone of any age. She has big brown curls and a smile that hugs you like a favorite aunt. Her conversation walks a line between the hesitancy of a brilliant person who weighs every word and the directness of a wise person to whom you'd tell secrets and ask for advice.

Call it a homecoming of sorts — even though Pat Graney, unlike other prominent Pacific Northwest choreographers, never left town except to tour. On the Boards is remounting three of her signature pieces, "Faith" (1991), "Sleep" (1995) and "Tattoo" (2001), in a single-evening show titled "Faith Triptych" that opens Thursday. All three dances were originally commissioned and presented by On the Boards. In their new "Triptych" format, they've been trimmed considerably, with "Sleep" almost halved from its original two-hour running time.