“I was thinking about that this morning and realized I had no idea so I'd better come up with something,” says playwright L.B. Deyo, when asked where the idea behind his new play Apprehension began, “and I was thinking how people are a little like bees, you know? Human beings are so socialized that we cannot survive without one another and one of the consequences of that is that we experience a great deal of anxiety when we suspect the group that we belong to and depend on isn't on our side – that we don't belong there, or that they are keeping something from us. And I think that's one of the most intense kinds of anxiety that we can feel as people, and I think that's what we're trying to capture in this play.”
The play, Deyo’s first script, is a psychological thriller (and a bit of a dark comedy) that lives in those uncomfortable areas. “I definitely think paranoia and anxiety are two themes that run throughout the show,” says producer Christopher Shea. “I just feel like we're entering an era where people don't really agree on what's real anymore, and I think that leads automatically to a corner of paranoia and distrust and suspicion and I think we amplify each other's paranoia because there's nothing in the ether to hold us together anymore. So I think that in a lot of ways this show sort of brings up, talks about, and potentially suggests a solution to that.”
Director Sonnet Blanton says that getting the mood right is very important – she and the cast and crew need to create an atmosphere of anxiety and, of course, apprehension while also making sure the jokes land. “I think the tone is very, very important to it,” she says, “because there are some lighter moments, but I feel like that's something that we're, you know, we're working on. And we'll be working on it until we're up on stage opening night. But the play… you think it's one thing and then then it's maybe not what you think it is. So… we're all kind of grappling with that right now – how do we get that tone right for this kind of anxiety and this tension, but still keep it entertaining?”
Despite the tension in the piece, Deyo says “It's the most fun thing in the world” to watch it come together onstage. “I feel like a kid in a candy store,” he says, “every time I come to rehearsal and watch these guys… that brilliantly talented, funny, marvelous cast and crew. To have something that started out with me alone in my living room, writing on my computer – to see it come to life like this is really a joy.”
He does, however, caution (I think jokingly, though it’s a little hard to tell for sure) that audiences might not have as much fun as he’s been having. “I actually would want to caution audiences not to expect to have fun or enjoy themselves in any way at our show,” he says. “They're going to suffer and regret having come.”
Blanton gives a little more reassurance to the potential audience. “I would say also that people should know that they're in really good hands when they come to the show,” she promises. “This cast is full of incredible performers. There's an immense amount of talent in the room. So you're safe.”
Shea agrees with Blanton. “I would very much love people to come see our show ,100%. It's gonna be life changing. I feel like it's theater's responsibility to sort of challenge audiences in a way. I think some of the best art is the stuff that makes us confront our fears and our paranoias and our anxieties and, you know, potentially leaves us with either more, better questions or at least some sort of salve to soothe the stuff that we came to the show with.”
'Apprehension' runs October 9 - November 1 at Hyde Park Theatre.
