FOUR SPARROWS

by Rich Rubin

The year: 1606.
The place: London.
As a deadly plague spreads throughout the city, the entire population is gripped in a vise of dread and panic. As neighbor turns against neighbor, Dr. Simon Munson – a noted physician and astrologer – soon finds himself in mortal combat with both a medical scourge and the fear and suspicion of his fellow citizens.

The year: 1606.
The place: London.
As a deadly plague spreads throughout the city, the entire population is gripped in a vise of dread and panic. As neighbor turns against neighbor, Dr. Simon Munson – a noted physician and astrologer – soon finds himself in mortal combat with both a medical scourge and the fear and suspicion of his fellow citizens.

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FOUR SPARROWS

Recommended by

  • The Depot for New Play Readings: FOUR SPARROWS

    Set in London, during the plague of 1609, Rich Rubin’s “Four Sparrows” immediately captivates, moving rapidly from one crisis to another: secret burial, imprisonment, near starvation, and breach birth. The events are drawn from history, a time when physicians operated within a sphere they believed was ruled by God and the movement of the stars. Yet the drama’s sober topic does not preclude moments of humor or poignancy. Without explicit references, the play also resonates with the AIDs era and the Covid pandemic, when the effects of plague beset reason and morality as well as bodies. Highly...

    Set in London, during the plague of 1609, Rich Rubin’s “Four Sparrows” immediately captivates, moving rapidly from one crisis to another: secret burial, imprisonment, near starvation, and breach birth. The events are drawn from history, a time when physicians operated within a sphere they believed was ruled by God and the movement of the stars. Yet the drama’s sober topic does not preclude moments of humor or poignancy. Without explicit references, the play also resonates with the AIDs era and the Covid pandemic, when the effects of plague beset reason and morality as well as bodies. Highly recommended.

Awards

  • Semifinalist, 2024 Frank Moffett Mosier Fellowship in Works of Heightened Language (Synecdoche Works)
  • 2023 Depot New Play Reading Series (Hampton, CT)
    Finalist
  • American Bard Theater Company (New York City) 2022 Cornerstone Reading Series
    Finalist
  • 2022 Portland Civic Theatre Guild New Play Award
    Finalist