The Great Influenza of 1918-20, which caused the deaths of fifty million people worldwide and over 600,000 Americans, has been forgotten as it was subsumed within the greater context of World War I. Thus, how to address this issue through the medium of theatre; one that resonates with our most recent experiences of the previous pandemic?

Based on actual events, The Grippe, written by James P. Mirrione, is a new play with music that chronicles the Great Influenza of 1918-1920 – the so-called “Spanish Flu.” The work, with a cast of 11 actors who play more than twenty-five characters, weaves several stories throughout the context of the play to capture the potency of those times and to reveal its relevancy for today. Through both words and music, The Grippe follows the valiant efforts of John Pascal, an astute reporter who uncovers the early warning signs of the Great Influenza of 1918 prior to it becoming a pandemic. With the help of a young nurse, Helen Adams, they work together to try to alert the Wilson administration to the oncoming pandemic before it is too late – and, of course, they fall in love along the way.

The play also presents a time when the role of African-Americans was erased from the historical record. The character of Mr. Sweets – the head butler in the White House – serves as a narrator and guide to the events unfolding in the words and music of the play.