The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Department of Theatre and Dance is proud to present the final production in its Primetime series, One Flea Spare by Naomi Wallace. Directed by UH Mānoa Theatre’s newest faculty member, Stacy Ray, performances will take place March 30, 31 and April 1, 2 at 7:30 p.m., and April 3 at 2 p.m.; there is a free post-show rap with cast and crew on April 1.
One Flea Spare is set in plague-ravaged 17th-century London where the norms of society have been thrown into chaos. The poor die in droves while the wealthy flee to the sanctuary of the countryside. Those unlucky enough to be caught in the city are confined to quarantine. Among the souls that find themselves in this limbo are William Snelgrave (played by Nick Jeffs) and Darcy Snelgrave (Angie Anderson), wealthy aristocrats who had the misfortune of exposure to plague-ridden servants.
On the eve of completing their 25th day of quarantine, a sailor named Bunce (Geovante Joseph) and a girl called Morse (Rachel Uyeno) break into what they think is a deserted home. Thus the quarantine clock is started once more and the four must survive in group captivity for 28 days. And their fight for survival takes numerous, dangerous and metamorphic forms.
More about the cast and crew
The cast of One Flea Spare is made up of a mixture of veteran performers and newcomers to the Hawaiʻi theatre scene. Jeffs, Uyeno and Joseph shared the stage in this season’s first Mainstage show, Sunday in the Park with George. Anderson was last seen at the Region VIII Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival where she starred in the immersive theatre piece, Ghost Light. Eddie Bond III as Kabe guards the unfortunate souls during their quarantine and was last seen in Late Night Theatre’s recent production, Cinematik.
When asked why she chose a play about the black plague, Ray emphasizes that physical diseases aren’t the only plagues we deal with in this day and age. “Here in Hawaiʻi we have the contrast between the rampant homelessness and the billion-dollar luxury condos. It points to the core of Wallace’s work—the haves and the have nots, and the struggle between them in a moment of peak crisis. And that crisis continues today! Not only is the actual black plague still present in the world, but we face new epidemics that seize our attention every year. We have Ebola, bird flu, rabies, TB, malaria, the resurgence of polio and now the Zika virus on a national and worldwide level. Even here in Hawaiʻi we’re in a state of emergency because of dengue fever. The problems this play begs us to question are not new, just recycled.”
She leaves with one final thought, “The human issues of 1665 are the same in 2016. When you strip away status, wear down expectations, and material wealth disappears you still have to answer the question: How do we all get along?”
Ticket information
Tickets to One Flea Spare may be purchased online at www.etickethawaii.com, by phone at (808) 944-2697, at official outlets, and at the Kennedy Theatre Box Office during sale periods only.
Ticket prices
- $18 general admission
- $16 seniors/military/UH faculty and staff
- $13 students/youth
- $8 UH Mānoa students with validated spring 2016 UH ID
Ticket prices include all service fees. For more information, visit the Kennedy Theatre website.
