―Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil our vines; for our vines have tender grapes.‖ --- Song of Solomon, the Hebrew Bible


Foxes are burrowing animals. Their dens are usually an underground burrow, a cavity under boulders, or a crevice in a rocky outcrop.


Lillian Hellman took the title ofT he Li e F es ttl ox


from this quotation from the Bible. Although the characters of Hellman‘s play are human beings, they possess many of the traits we often associate with foxes. For a clearer idea of what that might mean, we can start with a description of the animals themselves.


Foxes are in the same family as dogs but with some noticeable differences:  Slightly smaller than a medium-sized dog  Distinctive muzzle on their long, narrow snout


 Bushy tail  Not domesticated (save the rare exception of the Russian Silver Fox)


Foxes are usually not pack animals. They live in small family groupings with a typical litter size being 4-6 pups.


Foxes feed on live prey, killing them quickly using a pouncing technique they perfect in their adolescence. Foxes feed on rodents, birds, rabbits, and other small game, but they‘re not picky. Foxes will eat fish, frogs, fruits, vegetables, worms, and even garbage and pet food if they live near humans.


The director and designer of T


he Li e F es ttl ox


took inspiration for the set design from the fox-holes these animals live in.


Prompt: When you attend the performance, notice what the set feels like. Is it dark or light? Claustrophobic or airy? Where are the entrances? What type of people do you imagine would live in a home like that? What does the color make you think of?


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