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The ominous tone of “One Flea Spare” will leave anyone reeling at the close of the play.
It is a powerful piece that is well performed and expertly directed. It is engrossing.
The play is set in England at the time of the bubonic plague. The central characters are locked inside their house to prove to the guards who surround their home that none of them are infected.
The cast is small with only five characters, it allows for more development of each and is consistent with the theme of the abandoned city.
Narration is given by the youngest character, Morse, throughout the play as she recounts her time with the family.
The simple setting of the stage adds to the eerie quality with less distraction from the actors.
The play unfolds in a series of short scenes giving a sort of snapshot look at the family’s life and the characters become more developed allowing the connections to drive the plot.
It was reminiscent of an Anne Frank story — the family lives within only a few rooms, and the relations between them are the main plot elements.
Unlike Anne Frank, this play is hardly suitable for children. With the menacing reminder of death surrounding every moment and the sexual nature the play takes on almost immediately, it is clearly designed for a more mature audience.
The play could be described as a mix between an Edgar Allen Poe story and an episode of Sex and the City.
It contains all the qualities of a Poe — death, betrayal, secrets and lies — yet is still driven by the love lives of the characters.
There are moments of comic relief throughout the performance, although most are concentrated within the first act.
Musical accompaniment is played between each scene — a forlorn string ensemble that adds to the somber feel of the play.
It is the same music that greets audience members as they take their seats before the play begins and sets the tone for the next two hours.
At the close of the play, the audience is brought back to their own world and a heavy feeling of solitude remains.
The play will be performed again at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with a 2 p.m. matinee on
Sunday.
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