Strand Theater Presents ONE FLEA SPARE April 21- May 7

One Flea Spare by Naomi Wallace plays April 21 - May 7, 2011

Directed by Jayme Kilburn
On the last day of a 30-day quarantine, a wealthy couple discover their London home invaded by two strangers-a sailor and a girl who might not be what she seems- and so they must begin another month of quarantine...together. Watched over by their jailor, these four with nothing in common must find a way to survive both the plague and each other. Hilarious and deeply moving by turns, One Flea Spare is set in 17th-century England, where social roles and the boundaries between them have been set into chaos. The definition of morality is up for grabs. History is being tantalized. And whilst the wealthy William Snelgrave dreams of sweating, swearing tars and of how sailors satisfy their baser instincts so far away from female company, his wife Darcey-literally untouched for 40 years-discovers that her dreadfully scarred body may not be numb after all. The human heart craves comfort, contact, tenderness...and surviVal May take many forms. Inspired by the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Wallace explores the issues of class, power, and sex in this timely and political play.

About the Playwright: Naomi Wallace
Naomi Wallace-born and raised in Kentucky and now residing in Yorkshire, England- is a deeply political American playwright who unashamedly writes about ideas rather than feelings and yet her works still pack an emotional wallop. Best known for One Flea Spare, which premiered in 1995, Wallace has garnered many awards including two Susan Smith Blackburn Prizes, an Obie Award, and most significantly, a 1999 MacArthur Foundation "Genius Award" Fellowship. Her other plays include Things of Dry Hours, which received its world premiere in Baltimore at CENTERSTAGE in 2007; In the Heart of America, produced by Columbia's Rep Stage in 2008; The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek; Slaughter City; The Hard Weather Boating Party; and The Fever Chart.

As Tony Kushner, Pultizer Prize-winning author of Angels in America, has said: "Naomi Wallace commits the unpardonable sin of being partisan, and, the darkness and harshness of her work not withstanding, outrageously optimistic. She seems to believe that the world can change. She certainly writes as if she intends to set it on fire."

The cast of One Flea Spare includes Strand veterans Sean Coe as Bunce (The Glory of Living), Alex Hacker as Kabe (A Peppermint Patty Christmas), Natalia Chavez Leimkuhler as Mrs. Snelgrave (The Mai), and Mary Myers as Morse (The Glory of Living), joined by Frank Vince as Mr. Snelgrave in his Strand debut. The production team includes Lighting Designer Matt Klein, Fight Choreographer Keegan Cassady, and Stage Manager Irene Williams.

Tickets: $15 general / $10 Students and Seniors
To purchase tickets please call 443-874-4917.
(Groupon subscribers must reserve by phone).
Due to the staging of the show, late seating will not be accommodated.
Opening Night is Friday, April 22nd. The performance is preceded by a reception and a post-show discussion will follow.

Production Dates:
Wednesday, April 27th at 7:00 pm
Thursday, April 21st and May 5th at 8:00 pm
Friday, April 22nd, 29th, and May 6th at 8:00 pm
Saturday, April 23rd, 30th, and May 7th at 8:00 pm
Sunday, May 1st at 3:00 pm

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