Laughing All the Way: A Flea in Her Ear

– Photo by Craig Schwartz

By Kramer Sullivan

The audience erupted with laughter, again and again, as A Noise Within performed Georges Feydeau’s A Flea in Her Ear. The play tells the hilarious story of misunderstandings, mistaken identities, and all-around confusion set in Paris during the 1950s. Originally written in 1907 and considered one of the greatest farces of all time, it was adapted by David Ives, and given a more modern tone and sense of humor.

The play begins with the wife of a well-off French businessman suspicious that her husband is being unfaithful. She and her friend conspire together to lure the husband into a trap to catch him red-handed, and inadvertently set off a chain of events that quickly spiral out of the characters’ control. The play continues to become more and more (charmingly) ridiculous as the story goes on, and eventually concludes in a delightfully heartwarming ending.

Alan Blumenfeld (Étienne) and Renna Nightingale (Eugénie). – Photo by Craig Schwartz

As good as the writing was however, the play would have never captivated the audience as well as it did it weren’t for the stellar cast. Every single actor brought each of their respective characters to life. Some actors, who played multiple roles, played them so well that they were almost unrecognizable. Whether they were performing on stage or running through the aisles, they filled their roles perfectly and made the audience feel as if they were living in the moment, as opposed to merely being passive observers.

However, while the play was extremely well-received and met with thunderous applause at the end of each act, it is not for everyone. The themes and innuendo of the play can be somewhat adult, and would most likely not be suitable for children. Anyone interested in attending would do well to leave the little ones at home.

The play will be performing on and off, alternating with another play, All My Sons, until Nov. 22. A Noise Within is located at 3352 East Foothill Blvd Pasadena, CA 91107. Plays are performed throughout the week, and tickets start at $44 per person, with discounts for students and groups.

Elyse Mirto (Raymonde Chandebise), Jill Hill (Lucienne Homénidès de Histangua), and Jonathan Bray (Romain Tournel). – Photo by Craig Schwartz

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