Adapted from the classic fairy tale by The Brothers Grimm, this festive, interactive winter play is written and directed by Axis Artistic Director Randall Sharp (Axis Company’s Twelfth Night, Washington Square, Edgar Oliver’s Rip Tide). Though the poignant tale was created for kids, the Axis production—which teases out some of the many plausible subtexts and includes timely pop cultural references—resonates equally well for adults.
Set just before the holidays on a snowy winter day, Seven in One Blow, or the Brave Little Kid tells the story of a child living in the city who kills seven flies with a single swat and makes a belt emblazoned with “Seven in One Blow” to commemorate the event. The Kid travels through the snow and meets numerous colorful characters along the way, including the Scarlet Pimpernel, a Pea, December, a Witch, an Ogre and a Princess. Most people think this belt refers to seven people and assign the Kid all kinds of difficult tasks based on this faulty presumption. Over the course of the take, invaluable lessons are learned: an Ogre finds that you don't always have to show how strong you are to be strong; a girl realizes that when you tease someone, you may be hurting a person who is just like you; and a scary monster understands that because she is loved, she may not be so scary after all. In the end, after a surprise twist, the Kid discovers that the love and care of a parent has no limits.
