Suicide-note play ‘4.48 Psychosis’ aims at rawness, hope

Though often referred to as such, it's uncertain if the play “4.48 Psychosis” is a suicide note of sorts by playwright Sarah Kane.

What is known is that it’s Kane’s final work, finished shortly before she died by suicide in 1999, and it confronts depression and suicidality.

Vigilance Theater Group’s production of “4.48 Psychosis” opens Thursday and runs through Nov. 24 with its trademark twist. Known for providing an immersive experience, Vigilance is giving Kane’s famed and famously non-linear play — a favorite of experimental college stages — its immersion treatment.

Though it's been a quarter century since Kane’s death, suicide is still “taboo” subject matter, said Vigilance senior production manager and “4.48 Psychosis” cast member Marisa Postava — even for artists.

Postava said simply reading Kane’s work gives her “chills.” “It’s not scary, but very real in its fears.”

Postava also noted that audience members have said that the immersion in the intense yet relatable depictions of psychosis brought a sense of a shared experience — of hope. Those that didn’t know of Kane’s demise became invested in the writer’s emotional well-being during the play and, afterward, asked what happened to her.

In this staging of “Psychosis,” audiences will be standing for most of the show, and will be taken to different spaces and scenes. There will be “one-on-one” scenes in which a single audience member will be brought to a space for a performance seen only by them. Unlike in Vigilance’s immersive production of “Hide,” audience members will not be participating.

“If you don’t like talking with people in your theater, this production is probably better for you,” said Postava.

Vigilance’s interpretation of “Psychosis,” directed by Harper York, endeavors to “ground” Kane’s stream-of-consciousness work “in a world that is tangible and interact-able for the audience,” Postava said.

Kane’s script has no characters or plot. It's made up, in part, of soliloquy and poetic prose. There are sets of thoughts that present, depending on the beholder, as a conversation between two or more people, or a ream of an individual’s feelings and observations. One page has a scattered assortment of numbers. Another is just blank. Each production interprets how many characters there are; the Vigilance production has six cast members.

Postava praised York’s direction in making the play’s abstractions of despair and self-harm more “tangible” and graspable for viewers. In initial audience feedback, Postava said theatergoers who had seen traditional, non-immersive productions of “4.48 Psychosis” but left confused had a better understanding of the realness, but also moments of inspiration in the play — particularly due to the immersive experience.

The selection of Kane and “Psychosis” also mirrors Vigilance’s ethos as a venue showcasing women-driven shows. The theater group had yet to stage a production written by a woman. Postava added that Kane was also queer, much like many of Vigilance’s players.

The show starts at 8 p.m. and runs Thursdays through Saturdays from Nov. 14-24. It will be held in the Point Breeze neighborhood at a location disclosed after tickets are purchased. Tickets, $40, are available at vigilancetheater.com.