Two Calgary theatre companies are joining forces for a new play that puts the audience uncomfortably, delightfully close to the action. Inside Out Theatre and Handsome Alice are co-presenting Lazy Susan, written by Col Cseke, at the Big Secret Theatre in Werklund Centre from March 18–28, 2026.

The setup is as clever as the premise: audience members are seated alongside the performers around a giant spinning table, close enough to make eye contact with the actors and share in the laughs and silences as they happen. Cseke, who also serves as Artistic Director of Inside Out Theatre, says the intimacy is the point — this is the kind of show, he argues, that simply can't be replicated on a screen or experienced alone at home.

At the heart of the play are two women at crossroads. Mia is a young blind woman navigating a professional world that applauds her presence while quietly ignoring her voice. Her mother Susan is facing the slow unravelling of a long marriage and trying to figure out what she actually wants on the other side of it. The two orbit each other — sometimes in sync, often not — as they each try to shed the stories they've been carrying and make room for new ones.

Meg Farhall, Artistic Producer of Handsome Alice, called the collaboration a natural fit, saying the production reflects both companies' commitment to theatre that builds community and keeps people talking after they've left the building. Tickets and more information are available through Inside Out Theatre and Handsome Alice.