Hannah Moscovitch’s tautly written two-hander Little One is beautifully suited to the scrappiness of the Fringe: It capitalizes on the audience’s sense that it’s trapped in a room with damaged storytellers, so our Fringe-induced claustrophobia actually becomes part of the dramaturgy. Since Moscovitch’s frequently witty, pocket-size horror story is constructed as a series of unfolding mysteries, it would be wrong to reveal just why Aaron (Daniel Arnold) fears his adopted little sister Claire (Marisa Smith), or why she is so fascinated with the mail-order bride who lives next door. What’s instantly obvious, though, is that the Canadian import has been made with precision and care. The two actors play adolescents with just the right mixture of embarrassment and cruelty; they prod us into laughter between our shocked gasps. Little One’s not a pleasant play, certainly, but it is a refreshing one. Nothing cools a hot August night like a chill creeping down your spine.—Helen Shaw
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