RAT TRAP
 a play in three acts by Anne de Mare

Unproduced
[reading at The Horla Theatre Company (London, UK), 2002]
[reading at The Flea Theatre, 2000]
[reading at The Ontological Theater, 1995]
[reading at The Grenwich Street Theatre, 1994]

read a section of the play
 Character Breakdown (5 men, 2 women)
  • THE BASKETCASE - a man of indeterminate old age
  • THE MAMABEAST - his wife and mother of his three sons
  • THE BOTTOM LINE - the youngest son
  • THE GADGET MASTER - the middle son
  • THE MASTER MIND - the eldest son
  • THE NAKED CHICK - a mysterious stranger
  • THE RAT KING - an enormous rat

     A Brief Description of the Play

    Originally written as a eulogy to the idea of American ingenuity, RAT TRAP is the story of a family living in the midst of a post-industrial wasteland, struggling to free themselves from a new breed of vermin they cannot seem to comprehend. The father has completely surrendered to the insanity of the present while the mother is obsessed with holding onto the stability of the past. Their three sons each possess distinct and extraordinary talents which, up until this point in time, have served them very well. But their insular world is about to be invaded by a strange new breed of rat with a lot of moxy and a hell of a sense of humor. As the family attempts to stave off these mischievous vermin, their relentless need for self-justification, reckless violence, and stubborn disregard for each other render them impotent. A naked young woman appears on the scene, providing them with distraction, fueling their explosive competitive nature, and adding to the rising sense of paranoia against anyone or anything that isn't family. She eventually becomes the gateway into a very different world.

    Running Time: 90 minutes.

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    © copyright 1999-2000 by Anne Catherine de Mare