A play about a man in a coma premieres as part of “Arts and Care 2024,” Aug. 30 and 31, Charles A. Brown Ice House, Bethlehem.

“An Empty Chair” will be presented, 1:20 p.m. Aug. 31, by Michael B. Judkins’ Oct14 Entertainment.

“Arts and Care 2024” is a two-day event in its second year celebrating performances, the arts and self-care.

“I wanted to create an event that merges my two worlds of mental health and the creative arts,” says Judkins of Allentown.

“I wanted to educate, focus on well-being and the feeling of expressive, creative arts in the same environment,“ Judkins says.

“An Empty Chair” by California playwright Damien Darr is a one-act drama about Kevin (Thomas W. Rush), who is in a coma after a car accident.

As the play unfolds, Kevin awakens in an empty room, confronted by a solitary chair bearing the warning “Do Not Sit.” Despite his physical limitations, Kevin can hear everything around him.

The cast of the play, directed by Gary Boyer, includes Torez Mosley, Syd Stauffer, Brad Briddes, Liam Griffith and Phuong Tran.

Art by Michael Freeman and Janel Macklin is on display noon-1 p.m. Aug. 31.

There will be poetry readings by Jayna Bitler and Haven Simmons.

Presentations will be made by Wisteria Dawn of the Greenshire Institute for Holistic Studies and Ondina Hawthorne of the Elijah-Alavi Foundation.

Vendors include Jannilia Hamilton of Anxiously OK.

There will be information tables from Mid-Atlantic Rehabilitation Services and Mental Health-Substance Abuse Information and Resources.

“Jazz and Paint Night,” 7 p.m. Aug. 30, includes music by Allan Meyerson and a guided painting session. Canvas, easel, apron and paint brushes will be provided.

“An Empty Chair,” 1:20 p.m. Aug, 31, Charles A. Brown Ice House, 56 River St., Bethlehem. https://oct14entertainment.com.

“Curtain Rises” is a column about the theater, stage shows, the actors in them and the directors and artists who make them happen. To request coverage, email: Paul Willistein, Focus editor, pwillistein@tnonline.com.