One Flea Spare Analysis

The University Playhouse’s recent production of Naomi Wallace’s One Flea Spare utilized both Restoration and Modern staging conventions. The performance embraced Restoration conventions through character types, epithets, and expressions of space, place, values, social structure, and beauty by the character of Mr. Snelgrave. The performance also embraced the Modern conventions of Naturalism and Realism through satire and representational aspects such as time appropriate costumes, realistic props, and a localized set. It strayed from these conventions through presentational aspects such as the half-walled room that served as the set, the nonlinear plotline, and the small symbolic crosses painted into the cobblestones of the stage.
The performance utilized Restoration conventions through the character of Mr. Snelgrave who embraced the self-gratifying attitude of the Restoration. This self-gratifying attitude embraced the expression of values seen in Restoration productions. He continually boasted about his high social status, often gloating about his shiny shoes and cane. This behavior encompassed expressions of social structure. He also lived in the city of London which fulfilled the

The performance combined the Restoration conventions of expression, epithets, and character types through the character of Mr. Snelgrave with many Modern conventions of Naturalism and Realism. Modern conventions inspired a mostly representational performance with realistic costumes and props along with a localized set for a majority of the production. The performance also incorporated the Naturalism convention of satirizing the upper class with a focus on lower class