“Out of This World” is the theme for Canterbury Summer Theatre’s 54th season in Michigan City.

The drama “The Thin Place,” from June 15-18 at Canterbury Theatre, starts a slate of five plays to be produced by what is billed as “one of the Midwest’s oldest professional summer companies” and features theater artists from throughout the United States.

“I look forward to every summer,” said David Graham, who has been involved with Canterbury Summer Theatre for more than three decades and is in his ninth season as associate artistic director.

“Live theater and live entertainment is back out from under its shell and starting to flourish again like it should.”

“The Thin Place” by Lucas Hnath premiered off-Broadway in 2019 at Playwrights Horizons in New York.

“The story revolves around two women. Linda is a professional medium. She communicates with the dead. She’s come over from England because the United States is the home of spiritualism. She has different types of clients,” said Graham, director of Canterbury Summer Theatre’s “The Thin Place.”

“There’s another woman named Hilda who is a little disturbed. She’s trying to reach her dead grandmother as well as perhaps her dead mother. She becomes enamored with Linda the medium. They begin a friendship.

“Even though Linda admits that what she does is a type of trick, Hilda still believes that Linda really has the power to do what she says she can do. I won’t say too much more about it other than it leads to a very creepy conclusion.”

“The Thin Place” makes its Midwest premiere with the performances in the Uptown Arts District of Michigan City.

“One of my focuses as a director, as of late, is I like plays that are theatrical in nature and not really grounded in naturalism in terms of how they’re structured and how they’re portrayed,” said Graham of Chicago’s Edgewater community.

“I like shows that have strong female leads. I really found ‘The Thin Place’ provocative because it works on several different levels. It works as a supernatural thriller but it also comments on what we need as human beings and what we need to believe. It’s about the power of suggestion.

“I like that the play really operates on different levels because people need to want to believe certain things and there are people out there that will convince them that those things are real. The play makes a broader comment on some of the things going on in society today and it’s a creepy story.”

The cast consists of Kristina Drendel as Linda, Alice Franssen as Hilda, Max Manfredini as Jerry and Kendall Shamus as Sylvia. They are all making their Canterbury Resident Company debuts.

“We had to audition via Zoom, but that’s the way things are going these days,” Graham said.

“I got to work with them a little bit as a director as I was sizing them up for the roles. They’re very talented. There a good bunch and I’m very excited about the show. I like to do something different every year to kick off the season.

“I think audiences are really going to enjoy ‘The Thin Place.’ When they leave the theater it’s something that will stay with them afterward.”

The production team for “The Thin Place” includes Leah Mazur, who has worked with Canterbury Summer Theatre for more than 10 years, on scenic design; Julie Adams on lighting design; Amber Garitt on costumes; and Danie Boyster as stage manager.

“The Thin Place” contains adult themes and language and is recommended for high school age or older.

“It’s just a really interesting show,” Graham said.

The 2022 season includes Louisiana resident Ray Scott Crawford, who is in his 37th season as artistic director of Canterbury Summer Theatre, directing “Streakin’ Thru the ‘70s!” by James A. Rocco and Albert Evans from June 22 to July 2, and “Sylvia” by A.R. Gurney from Aug. 4 to 6.

Also, Stephanie Murry directs “The World Goes ‘Round” with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb from July 6-16, and Canterbury Summer Theatre veteran Lari Leber directs “No Way to Treat a Lady” with book, music and lyrics by Douglas J. Cohen, based on the William Goldman novel, from July 20 to 30.

Season discount cards are $70 for all five shows.

Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.