Podcast Summary: All Of It with Alison Stewart

Episode: Sean Hayes' Play "The Unknown" Closing Soon
Date: April 10, 2026
Host: Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Guests: Sean Hayes (Actor), David Kael (Playwright), Lee Silverman (Director)

Overview

This episode revisits Alison Stewart's in-studio conversation with the creative team behind the acclaimed Off Broadway one-man thriller "The Unknown." As the play nears the end of its run—and with livestreamed performances still available—Sean Hayes, playwright David Kael, and director Lee Silverman discuss the unique challenges and joys of creating a solo show. They dive into the writing and performing process, the intricacies of stagecraft, the psychological journey of the main character Elliot, and the subtle power of a collaborative theater experience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Challenge and Allure of Solo Shows

[02:56-03:48]

• Sean Hayes reveals that he initially had no interest in doing a solo play but was won over by the strength of the writing and creative team.
  • "If it's a solo play, I don't want to do it... But she sent me the first 11 pages of the script that David wrote, and I just thought it was incredible... I thought I'd be a fool to pass this up." (Sean Hayes, 03:01)
• Lee Silverman emphasizes the trust and magnetism required of a solo performer:
  • "They have to hypnotize and entrance, charm, surprise, delight. They have to earn the trust of the audience right away." (Lee Silverman, 04:05)

2. The Writer’s Process and the Evolution of Solo Work

[05:20-07:01]

• David Kael describes his solo shows as akin to albums: each made up of different "tracks" or monologues. Over time, his narrative approach has shifted from this structure to a more character-driven form.
  • "I used to think of myself as like a singer-songwriter, that is, who instead of making albums, I made shows. And they were often an assemblage of 10 or 12 monologues, almost like an album." (David Kael, 05:32)
• On memorization, Sean likens it to knowing every line from a favorite album:
  • "I always say it's like everybody has a favorite album. They memorize every word to every song on that album." (Sean Hayes, 06:59)

3. Authenticity of Place and Cinematic Influence

[07:01-08:10]

• David insists on accurately representing real-life New York spaces in his scripts.
  • "Every location has got to be accurate. So if the audience hopefully is also visualizing it as the narrator is telling it, that it's accurate." (David Kael, 07:01)
• For audiences familiar with locales referenced in the play, authenticity maintains immersion.

4. Creating a Sense of Unease: The Role of Sound and Music

[08:10-10:03]

• Lee Silverman highlights the play’s innovative sound design and music, crafted by Isabel Waller Bridge and Carolyn Eng.
  • "I just want to move the air in the room... create a sense of just on the edge of what you can hear, that sense of unease, that sense of tension." (Lee Silverman, 08:26)
  • Isabel Waller Bridge's music "captures the spirit... goes right to your sternum."
• Sound and surround create an immersive thriller atmosphere that is both palpable and intangible.

5. Building Fear and Engagement in an Intimate Space

[10:05-10:48]

• Sean notes how the script immediately draws the audience into the play's tension on "page one."
  • "There's someone singing outside of your house that happens on page one... That's when the audience... they're like, oh, wait, am I going on this ride already?" (Sean Hayes, 10:16)

6. Writer’s Block and Artistic Identity

[11:06-13:32]

• Elliot, the protagonist, faces paralyzing writer’s block—a reflection on creative anxiety and identity.
• David explores the existential impact of losing one's creative drive:
  • "If you take away my work and my obsessive relationship to my career, who am I?" (David Kael, 13:00)
• The play interrogates the sacrifices and obsessions involved in maintaining an arts career.

7. Life Imitates Art: Real-Life Inspiration for the Stalker Plot

[14:27-14:50]

• David admits a real-life incident involving a persistent stranger informed the play's central tension.
  • "I did have somebody who was buzzing my door from the street at night... That's definitely stayed with me to the point of... prompted some of the ideas in the play." (David Kael, 14:27)

8. Intrigue Trumping Fear

[15:08-15:53]

• Elliot’s curiosity about his stalker is driven by his desperation to write again:
  • "He's the key to unlocking the writer's block... That’s enough to drive someone to do things they wouldn't normally do." (Sean Hayes, 15:09)
• This obsession shifts Elliot’s feelings from fear to intrigue.

9. Performing 11 Characters: The Art of Restraint

[16:05-19:57]

• Lee directed Sean to differentiate characters with minimal changes—"restraint" rather than exaggeration.
  • "You can almost see Sean switching between characters just in the eyes, just in the very subtle way that he changes his body weight..." (Lee Silverman, 16:05)
• Physical limitations, like sewing shut Sean’s pants pockets, forced creative solutions:
  • "In the rehearsal process, I would put my hand in my pockets... So she had them sewn shut for the play, which was brilliant." (Sean Hayes, 18:23)

10. What Makes a Performance Dazzling

[20:03-20:52]

• David is repeatedly compelled to watch Sean perform:
  • "I stand at the back of the house... people are so wrapped that I said to Sean the other day, it looks like from my perspective, like I'm looking at a photograph because people are so still, and then people are gasping..." (David Kael, 20:10)
• Audience engagement is both visual (stillness, rapt attention) and visceral (gasps at plot twists).

11. The Meta Element and Visual Design

[21:45-23:59]

• Lee reflects on the show's meta storytelling and "tricking" the audience with design and lighting:
  • "You start off and you know exactly where you are, and then I kind of take you on a journey that has these little surprises here and there... and then we land you at the end... back in a more familiar space again. And yet you have a totally different understanding of it." (Lee Silverman, 21:59)
• The lighting design by Chausi is described as "painting with light" and pivotal to the show's atmosphere.
  • "She is painting with light in a way that is so extraordinary." (Lee Silverman, 22:57)

12. The Discipline of Stillness on Stage

[23:59-24:38]

• Lee challenged Sean to remain almost completely still for the first 18 minutes of the show, intensifying the sense of suspense and focusing audience attention.

13. Constructing a Thriller on Stage

[24:41-26:15]

• David: Writing a one-man thriller draws heavily from his love of movie thrillers, seeking to match their tension with just one person on stage.
  • "I always wanted to see if I could, if one person on stage could create the tension of a thriller." (David Kael, 24:50)
• Sean: The secret is not to play it like a thriller, but to inhabit each moment as honestly as possible.
  • "By not playing it as a thriller." (Sean Hayes, 25:38)
  • "It's just every moment as real as possible." (Sean Hayes, 25:44)

Memorable Quotes

• “If it’s a solo play, I don’t want to do it... But I thought I’d be a fool to pass this up.” — Sean Hayes (03:01)
• “They have to hypnotize and entrance, charm, surprise, delight. They have to earn the trust of the audience right away.” — Lee Silverman (04:05)
• “I used to think of myself as like a singer-songwriter... who instead of making albums, I made shows.” — David Kael (05:32)
• “You can almost see Sean switching between characters just in the eyes, just in the very subtle way that he changes his body weight.” — Lee Silverman (16:05)
• "Stand there. Right there. You don't move." — Lee Silverman to Sean Hayes during rehearsal (23:59)
• “If you take away my work and my obsessive relationship to my career, who am I?” — David Kael (13:00)
• “I always wanted to see if I could, if one person on stage could create the tension of a thriller.” — David Kael (24:50)
• “By not playing it as a thriller... It's just every moment as real as possible. That's it.” — Sean Hayes (25:38)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:47] Episode introduction & play context
• [02:56] Sean Hayes on learning from a solo show
• [03:53] Directing solo performances (Lee Silverman)
• [05:20] David Kael on writing solo work
• [08:26] Creating thriller tension through sound design
• [10:05] Building suspense from the very first scene
• [11:06] Writer’s block as creative crisis
• [14:27] Real-life inspiration for the stalker storyline
• [16:05] Portraying 11 characters with restraint
• [18:23] Lee’s directorial tricks (sewing pockets shut)
• [20:03] David’s praise for Sean’s live performance
• [21:45] Designing the meta/theatrical journey
• [22:57] Lighting as “painting” the play’s mood
• [23:59] The discipline of stillness on stage
• [24:50] Constructing a thriller as a one-man show
• [25:38] Sean on “not playing it as a thriller”

Conclusion

This deeply collaborative conversation illustrates the passion, vulnerability, and artistry behind "The Unknown." The team shares how discipline, restraint, and immersive theatrical tools combine to turn a simple solo story into a suspenseful, emotionally rich journey for both actor and audience. As the play enters its final performances, the episode offers both fans and newcomers a glimpse into what makes this one-man thriller a standout of the Off Broadway season.