Playshop Theatre To Present Four Performances of the Farce “A Flea in Her Ear”

Nov. 3, 2014 — The Allegheny College Playshop Theatre continues its 85th season with “A Flea in Her Ear,” a new version by David Ives of Georges Feydeau’s farce. Directed by Mark Cosdon, the comedy will be performed in the Gladys Mullenix Black Theatre in the Vukovich Center for Communication Arts at 8 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 13-15, and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 16.

“‘A Flea in Her Ear’ is one of the theater’s most beloved and influential comedies,” says director Mark Cosdon. “Misunderstandings, hypocrisy and the ridiculous are tacked onto plots of enormous speed and vigor. Farce operates under the pretense of invariably bringing the wrong people together at the precisely wrong moment, generating even more misapprehensions and belly laughs for audiences. Without ‘A Flea in Her Ear,’ it’s hard to imagine ‘Fawlty Towers,’ ‘Noises Off,’ ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ and ‘I Love Lucy.’”

Although “A Flea in Her Ear” was written in 1907, Playshop’s production is firmly placed in the early 1970s. “It was a time of social upheaval, changing sexual mores and evolving attitudes toward gender and sexuality,” Cosdon notes. “Go-go boots, platform shoes, bell-bottom trousers and lots of fantastic fashion are on display in our production.”

Performing are Allegheny students Andrew Long, Elizabeth Colarte, Christian Lombino, Mary Lyon, Samuel Reitman, Joseph Bruch, Daniel Keitel, Leanne Siwicki, Luke Aslanian Davis, Troy Dinga, Victoria Durst, Elizabeth Thompson, Till Lattke and Christopher Schuchert.

Michael Mehler designed the set, Miriam Patterson designed the costumes and W. Scott Choffel designed the lighting.

Tickets for “A Flea in Her Ear,” which depicts mature, though comic, situations, are $10 for adults and $8.00 for non-Allegheny students, senior citizens and Allegheny employees. Although admission is free for Allegheny students with identification, they are asked to make reservations.

For more information or to order tickets, contact the Playshop Theatre box office at 814-332-3414.

Photo: Elizabeth Colarte, Andrew Long and Daniel Keitel (left to right). Photo by Bill Owen ’74.