RATON LAVEUR by A Crawley, D Flemming and C Stewart. Jul 15 at 9:45 pm, Jul 17 at 2:45 pm. St. Vladimir’s Theatre. See listing. Rating: NNNNN
This tar-black comedic two-hander will work you over in about eight different ways. David Patrick Flemming and Caitlin Stewart (who also co-wrote with director Amos Crawley) give knockout performances as a deceptively comfortable young couple dealing with the aftermath of a raccoon attack.
The horrifically gored apartment and Crawley’s sensitive direction smartly draw out the ways that individual anxieties can bludgeon a relationship. The text is as natural-sounding as it is hilarious.
But this is more than just a play about pest control gone deeply wrong. The psychological subtext and committed, intelligent acting keep this show lingering in your imagination long after both pest and control have flown the coop.
