Podcast Summary: "Sean Hayes in the One-Man Thriller 'The Unknown'"

Podcast: All Of It (WNYC)
Host: Alison Stewart
Guests: Sean Hayes (Star), David Kael (Playwright), Leigh Silverman (Director)
Date: March 2, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives into "The Unknown," a new one-man play starring Sean Hayes, written by longtime solo-show creator David Kael and directed by Leigh Silverman. The play follows Eliot, a successful but blocked playwright, whose life spirals after an enigmatic stalker begins shadowing him. Through candid conversation, the trio discusses the craft of solo performance, the psychological underpinnings of writer's block, theatrical design choices, and how the cast and crew created tension in a minimalist setting.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Demands and Allure of the One-Man Show

• Sean Hayes’s Perspective:
  • Hayes shares how daunting and irresistible the challenge of the solo show was once he began reading Kael's script, despite early misgivings.
    • "If it's a solo play, I don't want to do it. ...It's incredibly well written, obviously incredibly well directed, and the whole team...is top notch...I'd be a fool to pass this up." (Sean Hayes, 03:57)
• Leigh Silverman on Directing Solo:
  • Silverman describes the unique requirements of a single-actor performance: holding the audience in a "hypnotic" state, oscillating between surprise, delight, and trust.
    • "They have to hypnotize. Entrance, charm, surprise, delight. They have to earn the trust of the audience right away." (Leigh Silverman, 04:52)
  • She remarks that the audience is essentially a collaborator in the solo-show format, required to make imaginative leaps alongside the actor.

2. David Kael’s Writing Process and Inspiration

• On Solo Shows as Personal Albums:
  • Kael reflects on the intersection between songwriting and monologue-driven performance, noting how his shows often feel "like albums," composed of personal, film-influenced vignettes.
    • "I used to think of myself as like a singer-songwriter...who instead of making albums, I made shows." (David Kael, 06:19)
• Research and Authenticity:
  • He foregrounds the importance of accurate sense of place, recounting his practice of "walking the script" through real-life locations to ensure authenticity.
    • "If the audience hopefully is also visualizing it as the narrator is telling it...it's accurate." (David Kael, 07:49)

3. Technical Craft: Sound, Light, and Restraint

• Creating a Thriller with Sound and Score:
  • Silverman details collaboration with composer Isabel Waller Bridge and sound designer Carolyn Eng to cultivate an atmospheric, "on the edge of what you can hear" soundscape.
    • "I just want to move the air in the room...just on the edge of what you can hear, that sense of unease...to create that thriller feeling." (Leigh Silverman, 09:14)
  • Mention that Isabel is Phoebe Waller-Bridge's sister. (10:51)
• Lighting as Narrative Tool:
  • Silverman praises Chausi, the lighting designer, for using cues of varying length and intensity to alter the audience's perception and mood.
    • "She is painting with light in a way that is so extraordinary..." (Leigh Silverman, 22:59)
• Movement and Minimalism:
  • Hayes recounts Silverman's direction to focus on stillness rather than movement—forcing him to convey character transitions using subtle shifts.
    • "Imagine everything in a close up...and...my pockets...were sewn shut for the play, which was brilliant." (Sean Hayes, 18:24 - 19:58)

4. Story Themes: Writer’s Block and Obsession

• Exploring Identity and Obsession:
  • The play examines the toll that creative block takes on personal identity, and how obsession with one's work (and with those who intrude on it) can drive someone to extremes.
    • "To maintain any kind of career in the arts...you have to be kind of obsessive about it...But then when you can't, like Eliot can't write anymore...who am I?" (David Kael, 13:48)
• Autobiographical Influence:
  • Kael confirms that real-life experiences with an unwanted visitor partially inspired the stalker plotline.
    • "I did have somebody who was buzzing my door from the street at night...it's kind of prompted some of the ideas in the play." (David Kael, 14:28)
• The Intrigue of Danger:
  • Hayes discusses Eliot's shift from fear to fascination in interacting with his stalker, seeing the tension as the possible cure for his creative blockage.
    • "He’s the key to unlocking the writer’s block...I’ve latched onto something that’s going to cure my writer’s block, and I’ll be damned if I let it go." (Sean Hayes, 15:10)

5. Transforming on Stage: Portraying 11 Characters

• Restraint Over Exaggeration:
  • Silverman shares how they deliberately eschewed obvious cues for character-switching, focusing instead on precision and the audience’s imagination.
    • "You can almost see Sean switching between characters just in the eyes, just in the very subtle way that he changes ... his vocal quality...that’s where the virtuosity comes from: not in how much, but in how little." (Leigh Silverman, 16:06)
• Hayes on the Challenge & Joy:
  • While difficult, Hayes remarks on how playing 11 roles—amidst such nuanced direction—was ultimately "exhilarating, exciting and thrilling." (Sean Hayes, 18:08)
• Playwright’s Admiration:
  • Kael is effusive in watching Hayes’ performance, sitting at the back for nearly every show to “watch people gasp and remain completely still.”
    • "It’s such a tour de force ... it looks like from my perspective I’m looking at a photograph because people are so still and then people are gasping at times." (David Kael, 20:04)

6. Meta Elements and Theatrical Surprises

• Design Reflects the Narrative:
  • Silverman hints—without spoilers—at how the play’s “meta” dimension is mirrored in set and lighting design, shifting the audience’s understanding of reality as the show progresses.
    • "You start off and you know exactly where you are, and then I kind of take you on a journey...and then we land you at the end back in a more familiar space ... with a totally different understanding of it." (Leigh Silverman, 22:01)
• Restricting Movement:
  • Hayes recounts how for the first 18 minutes he was not allowed to move, creating deliberate tension and anticipation.
    • "I just want to move...and [Lee] goes, nope, you got to stand there. ...One day, she says, I have a special gift for you. ...You get to move for the very first time today. I was like, wow." (Sean Hayes, 24:01)

7. What Makes a Stage Thriller Work

• Kael’s Influences:
  • The playwright credits his love for movie thrillers as a major influence and challenge—can one actor alone generate that cinematic tension?
    • "I always wanted to see if one person on stage could create the tension of a thriller." (David Kael, 24:53)
• Hayes on Stage Tension:
  • Hayes argues that the secret is not to "play the thriller," but to play every moment authentically.
    • "By not playing it as a thriller…every moment as real as possible…that’s the challenge." (Sean Hayes, 25:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "If it's a solo play, I don't want to do it...but I'd be a fool to pass this up."
  — Sean Hayes on turning point for joining the project (03:57)

• "They have to hypnotize. Entrance, charm, surprise, delight. They have to earn the trust of the audience right away."
  — Leigh Silverman on demands of solo performance (04:52)

• "I used to think of myself as like a singer-songwriter...who instead of making albums, I made shows."
  — David Kael on the personal nature of solo work (06:19)

• "She had them [pants pockets] sewn shut for the play, which was brilliant...I go to put my hands in my pocket and I can't because they're sewn shut."
  — Sean Hayes (18:24)

• "It looks like...I’m looking at a photograph because people are so still and then people are gasping at times. It’s just exhilarating to watch."
  — David Kael on audience reaction (20:04)

• "By not playing it as a thriller...every moment as real as possible. That’s it, you know, and truly try to feel it."
  — Sean Hayes’ technique for keeping the story tense (25:41)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:41] — Introduction to the play and guests
• [04:36] — Sean Hayes on agreeing to do a solo show
• [04:52] — Leigh Silverman on the demands of solo performance
• [06:12] — David Kael on the allure of solo work
• [07:49] — Kael on researching real locations for authenticity
• [09:14] — Silverman on creating a thriller through sound
• [10:51] — Isabel Waller Bridge’s music (and family connection)
• [11:36] — Elliott’s (the character) writer’s block and the beginnings of the play’s tension
• [14:28] — Kael on real-life inspiration for the stalker storyline
• [16:06] — Silverman on subtlety in multi-character work
• [18:24] — The story of the sewn-shut pants pockets
• [20:04] — Kael’s admiration for Hayes’ performance and audience response
• [22:01] — Silverman on meta elements and design surprises
• [24:01] — Restricting Hayes’ movement for dramatic effect
• [24:53] — Kael on writing a stage thriller
• [25:41] — Hayes’ approach to sustaining tension

Overall Tone & Takeaways

The atmosphere is one of collaboration, mutual appreciation, and fascination with the ways theater can forge tension and intimacy with so little. The episode offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at both the technical and emotional artistry of making a solo thriller for the stage, while championing the necessity of risk, stillness, and precision.

This discussion is essential listening for fans of theater, solo performance, and anyone interested in the psychology of creativity and stagecraft.