New Century Theatre Company’s world-premiere adaptation of The Trial, Kafka’s cautionary tale of a man arrested on ambiguous charges who’s powerless in the face of “the Law,” isn’t going to be a standard play. “We want it to be an event,” said Darragh Kennan, who’ll star as Josef K. “I want a visceral reaction.” Director John Langs (The Adding Machine) returns to lead a cast of top Seattle actors, including Michael Patten, MJ Sieber, and Amy Thone; and the stage is set in the Satori Group's space in Inscape, the former Immigration and Naturalization Service building. “We’ll be doing Kafka in a building where people used to be sworn in as U.S. citizens, or were held or detained,” Kennan said. Despite recent renovations to transform a building with a dark past into a home for artists' studios, the shell of the structure still looks the part: imposing low-slung brick exterior, narrow rooms—so cozy, in fact, the theater space won't seat more than 100. It encourages an interactive theater experience. Don’t be surprised if they throw the book at you, too.

The Trial
Apr 5–28, Inscape, $10–$20