FUSION Theatre Company’s upcoming production of One Flea Spare by Naomi Wallace opens Nov. 13 in Albuquerque, offering a story that feels both historical and startlingly current. Directed by FUSION co-founder Laurie Thomas, the play runs through Nov. 23 before traveling to the Taos Center for the Arts Nov. 29 through 30.
Set during London’s 1665 plague, the play follows a wealthy couple, the Snelgraves, who are nearing the end of their 28-day quarantine when two mysterious strangers sneak into their home. Discovered by the authorities, the group must now start their confinement all over again. What follows, Thomas says, is a charged study of humanity when all social boundaries collapse.
“Well, without giving too much away, I think on one level, it’s a very compelling ghost story. There’s a lot of mystery involved,” says Thomas. “And on another level, it’s very much an extremely smart, savvy, well-written exploration of inequality through the lens of class and gender.”
Thomas says the play, written in the 1990s, has taken on new power after the COVID-19 pandemic. “I think that the play has grown way beyond the playwright’s wildest imaginations because of the pandemic and what we went through,” says Thomas. Wallace, she explains, chose the plague as a setting because it allowed her to study “what would happen if you put people into a context or a scenario that starts to break down all the boundaries and the structures that we build up as a society.”
Thomas draws clear parallels between the play’s historical world and the early days of 2020. “I think people who may have seen the play prior to the pandemic may have rolled their eyes a little bit at some of the characters’ responses,” says Thomas. “I don’t think you would roll your eyes at any of that now, because that’s exactly where we were in the beginning weeks of the pandemic.”
Despite its grim setting, One Flea Spare isn’t without levity. “There’s humor in it,” says Thomas. “Human beings are pretty resourceful when they need a laugh in the midst of the horror.”
When asked why FUSION chose the play, Thomas says, “We’re always looking for new, compelling work for us, right? For us theater artists, what do we want to explore that’s new and then allow our audiences to come on that journey with us,” says Thomas. “I’m very passionate about producing women playwrights as well. And this play came our way, and we just thought, ‘Oh my God, this is so relevant.’”
In the end, the play offers a collective release. “We’ve all gone through this together,” says Thomas. “Let’s sit in a room and heal.”
One Flea Spare
FUSION Theatre
708 First St. NW
Nov. 13 through 23
Thursdays & Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.
Tickets: $20-$40, with Pay What You Wish options available at fusionnm.org.