''One Flea Spare'', by

Naomi Wallace Naomi Wallace (born 1960) is an American playwright, screenwriter and poet from Kentucky. She is widely known for her plays, and has received several distinguished awards for her work. Biography Naomi Wallace was born in Prospect, Kentucky, to ...

, is a play set in plague-ravaged 17th Century London.

Synopsis

A wealthy couple is preparing to flee their home when a mysterious sailor and a young girl appear sneaking into their boarded up house. Now, quarantined together for 28 days, the only thing these strangers fear more than the Plague is each other. Definitions of morality are up for grabs and survival takes many forms in this dark, fiercely intense & humorous play. The play deals with the clash of cultural, social, and sexual boundaries.

The play is published by

Broadway Play Publishing Inc. Broadway Play Publishing Inc (BPPI) was established in New York City in 1982 to publish and license the stage performance rights of contemporary American plays. The Broadway Play Publishing Inc catalog consists of over 1,000 plays and nearly 400 ...

The title is derived from the poem ''The Flea'' by

John Donne John Donne ( ; 22 January 1572 – 31 March 1631) was an English poet, scholar, soldier and secretary born into a recusant family, who later became a cleric in the Church of England. Under royal patronage, he was made Dean of St Paul's Cathe ...

Productions

London (1995) ''One Flea Spare'' premièred in London at the

Bush Theatre The Bush Theatre is located in the Passmore Edwards Public Library, Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was established in 1972 as a showcase for the work of new writers. The Bush Theatre strives to create a s ...

on 18 October 1995. Louisville, Kentucky (1996) It had its American premiere in Louisville, Kentucky at the

Humana Festival of New American Plays Humana Festival of New American Plays is an internationally renowned festival that celebrates the contemporary American playwright. Produced annually in Louisville, Kentucky by Actors Theatre of Louisville, this festival showcases new theatrica ...

on 27 February 1996. New York (1996) The play opened in New York at

The Public Theater The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American Li ...

on 9 March 1997 and won the

OBIE Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the ...

for best play; it also won the 1996 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, the 1996

Joseph Kesselring Prize Joseph Otto Kesselring (July 21, 1902 – November 5, 1967) was an American playwright who was best known for writing '' Arsenic and Old Lace'', a hit on Broadway from 1939 to 1944 and in other countries as well. Biography He was born in ...

and the 1996 Fellowship of Southern Writers Drama Award.

New York cast

Dianne Wiest Dianne Evelyn Wiest (; born March 28, 1948) is an American actress. She has won two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress for 1986’s '' Hannah and Her Sisters'' and 1994’s ''Bullets over Broadway'' (both of which were directed by Woo ...

as Mrs. Darcy Snelgrave *

Mischa Barton Mischa Anne Marsden Barton (born 24 January 1986) is a British-American film, television, and stage actress. She began her career on the stage, appearing in Tony Kushner's '' Slavs!'' and took the lead in James Lapine's ''Twelve Dreams'' at Ne ...

as Morse *Bill Camp as Bunce *Jon De Vries as Mr. William Snelgrave * Paul Kandel as Kabe France In 2009 ''One Flea Spare'' was incorporated into the permanent répertoire of the French National Theater, the

Comédie-Française The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...

. Wallace is the only living American playwright to enter the répertoire. Only two American Playwrights have ever been added to La Comédie's repertoire in 300 years: the other being

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thr ...

. The play was translated into French by Dominique Hollier. The Czech Republic In 2011 ''One Flea Spare'' was incorporated into the permanent répertoire of Komorní scéna Aréna in Ostrava. It was translated by Andrea Hoffmannová and directed by Peter Gábor. Cast: Jan Fišar (William Snelgrave), Alena Sasínová-Polarczyk (Darcy Snelgrave), Josef Kaluža (Bunce), Zuzana Truplová (Morse), Marek Cisovský (Kabe).

Publication

''One Flea Spare'' is published in an acting edition by

References

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External links

''One Flea Spare''
1995 plays Plays based on actual events Plays by Naomi Wallace Plays set in London Plays set in the 17th century