(Above: Erica Towe and Trish DeBaun in The Thin Place, in which a psychic tries to guide people who have experienced loss to enter the “thin place” between this world and the next.)

By Randi Bjornstad

Now, around Halloween, is the time of year to suspend disbelief — if indeed you have it — about the space — if there is one — between this world and the next.

To help with the task, Oregon Contemporary Theatre presents The Thin Place, an examination of the existence, or not, of a psychic connection between the living and the rest.

The story line, as summarized by OCT in announcing the play, is this:

Linda promises that if you listen — really listen — she can take you to the “thin place,” the fragile boundary between our world and the next. Hilda is grappling with loss and seeking answers. She is listening — hard. This spine-tingling new play examines the things we don’t know and can’t understand. “The Thin Place” toys with perception, asking are psychic abilities real, or merely a cunning illusion that awakens our deepest desires?

This drama is the work of Lucas Hnath, who hails originally from Florida, went to New York City in 1997 to study pre-med but switched to dramatic writing at New York University’s Tisch School, where he earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in fine arts and now teaches.

And he continues to write. Hnath won the Obie Award for playwriting in 2016 for two of his works, Red Speedo and The Christians, both of which address serious cultural issues. Red Speedo is about about a competitive swimmer trying out for the Olympic team, one subtext of which is the idea that in this culture anyone is only as good as his/her ability to compete. The Christians centered on a charismatic minister who experiences a religious revelation that raises fundamental questions about beliefs and behaviors and creates a furor among his congregation. Two of his later plays, Hillary and Clinton and A Doll’s House, Part 2, have been staged on Broadway.

So The Thin Line seems right up Hnath’s intellectual and theatrical alley.

Craig Willis, OCT’s producing artistic director, says the production is “an intriguing story with surprises well-suited for the season of ghosts and goblins,” directed by John Schmor, who previously directed The 39 Steps and The Curious Incident of The Dog on the OCT stage.

The four-person cast includes OCT veterans Erica Towe, Vanessa Greenway, and Cloud Pemble, plus Trish DeBaun, making her OCT debut.

The production crew includes includes lighting designer Riley Allen, sound designer Chris Lewis, properties designer Amy Weinkauf, and costume designer Erin Wills, with Laura Tuffli as production stage manager.

The Thin Line at Oregon Contemporary Theatre

When: Evenings at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 19-21, 26-28, and Nov. 2-4; 2 p.m. matinees on Oct. 29 and Nov. 5

Where: Oregon Contemporary Theatre, 194 W. Broadway, Eugene

Tickets: $20 or pay-what-you can for Oct. 19 preview; $30/$45 on official opening night on Oct. 20 includes post-performance reception; remaining performances $25/$39/$49, available online at octheatre.org or at the box office, 541-465-1506 (see website for hours);  students with current ID $20 except on opening night

Information: 541-465-1506 or octheatre.org

The cast of The Thin Place at Oregon Contemporary Theatre includes, left to right, Erica Towe, Trish DeBaun, Cloud Pemble, and Vanessa Greenway.