THE THIN PLACE Comes to Duluth Playhouse

Duluth Playhouse will launch its 2024-2025 Underground season with The Thin Place by award-winning playwright Lucas Hnath. Running October 17 - 27 at The Lab, this gripping ghost story promises to keep audiences on the edge of their seats as it explores the fragile boundary between our world and the one just beyond. 

Chani Ninneman plays Linda, a professional medium who communicates with spirits residing in a realm she calls "the thin place." Hilda, played by Kristen Hylenski, is a keen listener who presents herself as utterly uninteresting, which proves not to be true as she reveals that her mother believed her to be possessed. Seeking answers after the mysterious disappearance of her mother, Hilda takes a great interest in Linda’s abilities. Though Linda presents herself as a "salt of the Earth" type of person, Hilda discovers that she has a circle of well-off friends, including her politically connected cousin Jerry (Rob Larson) and her wealthy and insecure benefactress Sylvia (Jennie Ross). As Hilda delves deeper into Linda's world, the line between belief and skepticism blur, leading her to confront unsettling questions about the nature of reality and the power of the mind.

“When I picked up The Thin Place to read for the first time, I didn't know what to expect,” says director Anika Thompson. “I finished it in one sitting, not able to turn the pages fast enough as I wondered what was coming next. I was drawn into Hilda's story, her loss and vulnerability, and her pressing need to tap into the other side for answers she can't find in this world. Is she being manipulated, or is she manipulating? What is the truth, and who should we believe? That's what makes a good ghost story. It's the unknown. The mystery. The realization that there are some things we can't know.”

Lucas Hnath’s work often grapples with what we believe, why we believe it and what happens when something challenges that belief. The Thin Place lives in those liminal spaces, where real answers are elusive and what is “true” is up for debate.

To post a comment, you must register and login.