If it’s August, it must be Dark & Stormy. Not the type that rolled in from the west Tuesday evening, but the annual production offered by a consistently fascinating little Twin Cities theater company, Dark & Stormy Productions.

Led by Sara Marsh, it’s known for always producing something provocative, doing so in intimate spaces and with exceptionally strong acting and production values. And you can always count on a lively post-show conversation with those who join you.

Since making St. Paul’s Gremlin Theatre its venue of choice in 2022, the company has presented excellent stagings of Yasmina Reza’s “God of Carnage” and Jay Presson Allen’s “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie,” plays that had at least some measure of pop-culture familiarity, thanks to Tony and Oscar wins.

Sara Marsh, left, and Jason Ballweber in Dark & Stormy Productions’ “The Physicists,” which runs through Sept. 15, 2024 at Gremlin Theatre in St. Paul. (Alyssa Kristine / Dark & Stormy Productions)

But no such link exists for its current offering, “The Physicists.” Written by 20th-century Swiss playwright Friedrich Durrenmatt, the 1961 play bears echoes of the absurdism of Eugene Ionesco and the comical commentary on modern life you’ll find in Dario Fo. But stick with Dark & Stormy’s strong production and you’ll likely find it a uniquely rewarding experience.

I say “Stick with it,” because some people didn’t at the performance I attended, and that’s too bad, although I could totally understand if they found the play’s first act disturbing or simply baffling. We are dropped into the middle of a murder scene at an asylum, where a nurse has been strangled for the second time in a few months. The inmates we meet all claim to be physicists, two of them the most famous in their field: Isaac Newton, dressed in circa-1700 attire, and an aging Albert Einstein in fuzzy slippers.

And then there’s the fictional Johann Mobius, who might be the most brilliant of the bunch. By intermission, you may wonder where all this is going. What’s behind the murders? What’s with this eccentric head of the sanatorium, Fraulein von Zahnd? Will the rest of the play be this creepy?

The answer to the last question is no. In fact, “The Physicists” turns into a dark comedy that bears some things in common with a film of its era, “Dr. Strangelove.” Laughter at last arrives, but so does a challenging discussion of a scientist’s responsibility to humankind, clearly inspired by all the questions brought about by the development of nuclear weaponry.

Dark & Stormy tends to favor plays with complex lead characters that afford opportunities for strong performances, and “The Physicists” is no exception. Alex Galick brings to Mobius an ideal combination of resolve and vulnerability, while Peter Christian Hansen’s “Newton” is a delightful dandy with a come-and-go grip on reality and Pearce Bunting’s “Einstein” gradually becomes compellingly colorful.

And Marsh cuts a fascinating figure as the sanatorium’s director, like the three physicists gradually transforming into a very different character. Amid all the madness, Riley Boals convincingly makes a case for compassion as a nurse who falls in love with Mobius.

Director Allison Vincent has taken on a very difficult task with this play of radically shifting tones and has succeeded admirably, aided by a haunting and expertly executed lighting design by Shannon Elliot. It’s a company known for conversation starters, and this show should spark some good ones.

Rob Hubbard can be reached at wordhub@yahoo.com.

Dark & Stormy Productions’ “The Physicists”

When: Through Sept. 15

Where: Gremlin Theatre, 550 Vandalia St., St. Paul

Tickets: $49-$29, available at darkstormy.org

Capsule: A rewarding dark comedy about science and social responsibility.

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