The Plague

A deadly plague. A city under lockdown. Shuttered businesses and doctors working around the clock. Albert Camus' famous novel The Plague was published back in 1947, but its plot could very well have been culled from today's newspapers. The book focuses on the Algerian city of Oran and the plague that ravages it, as seen through the eyes of physician Bernard Rieux. A handful of friends and volunteers join Rieux, and together they fight recurring waves of infection and death, all the while searching for words to describe the experience that has rocked their world. In their battle for survival they hold on to each other, searching for any little humane gesture that might offer consolation in a sea of loneliness, estrangement and fear.

On a ring stage at the Khan Theater's courtyard – a personal and immediate setting – a town square is recreated. There, audience and actors assemble for a fictional commission of inquiry. Many questions are asked; not all are answered.

One answer, though, flies its flag high above the escalating disaster: the human answer.

In measured words, in poetry and humor, movement and song, the play tries throughout to echo the final words of the book, which state that even at the worst of times, "people are more often good than bad".

The play takes place outdoors. It is recommended to bring warm clothing.

The performance lasts about 1 hour and 15 minutes (without intermission)

Premiere: May 1^st, 2021