Janice Leber, left, portrays a strong-willed woman who enlists the help of her companion, played by Jacque Denton, to prevent the lurid details of her son’s death on an overseas trip from being revealed.

Astoria actors are hoping that the play Tennessee Williams considered “perhaps his most poetic” will entertain and pose questions.

“Suddenly Last Summer” tells the story of a family’s reactions to a murder and potential hate crime. Williams’ play made its debut in 1958 – when homosexuality was illegal in the United States and discussions on the topic were muted.

It will be featured in a staged reading at the Ten Fifteen Theater, planned for 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

‘Shocking’Director Bennett Hunter studied film as a college student in California. A 1990s-era documentary, “The Celluloid Closet,” about onscreen portrayals of gay characters, pointed him to the 1959 film version of Williams’ play. Despite Hollywood codes which restricted taboo topics, the script both reached the big screen and earned Oscar nominations for Katherine Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor.

“It is pretty shocking what Williams was able to convey at that time,” Hunter said. He stored away his fascination with the work until the time was right to direct his first show. “I thought it would be a good choice for the local theater scene.”

Hunter moved to Clatsop County in 2017 and has appeared in multiple local shows, beginning with “Scrooge: The Musical” at the Coaster Theatre Playhouse in Cannon Beach.

Astoria audiences most recently saw Hunter in “The Weir,” a spooky Irish play that kicked off the Ten Fifteen Theater’s offerings last fall. He assisted “Weir” director Karen Bain backstage in her next show, “Art,” in March.

‘The story is horrible, but it is beautifully written’“Suddenly Last Summer” is the eighth production at the downtown storefront theater since last fall. The one-act play is set in the American South in 1937. It follows a socialite whose son has been murdered on an overseas trip, likely because he was gay. She seeks to bribe a psychiatrist to perform a lobotomy on her niece, who was her cousin’s traveling companion. The woman fears she will tarnish her son’s reputation if she reveals details of his death.

The mother is portrayed by Janice Leber, and the niece by Ann Branson. In the movie, their roles were played respectively by Hepburn and Taylor. “They are the two main characters and they have enormous monologues,” Hunter said.

Leber, a once local radio news director, moved back to the North Coast last spring. Her perspective mirrors Hunter’s. “The story is horrible, but it is beautifully written,” she said. “It is a testimony to Tennessee Williams — all the characters are like that. They are so starkly written, but you know them within the first few lines.”

Playing other roles are Ed Joyce as the psychiatrist and Toni Ihander as a nun. Heidi Hoffman and Atticus Larsen play two relatives who have a financial interest in what happens. Jacque Denton plays a dutiful attendant.

QuestionsHunter anticipates deep reactions. “I am anticipating people will walk out scratching their heads thinking, ‘What have I just experienced?’” he said. “There is symbolism, metaphor and ambiguity. There could be a lot more questions than answers, but I am hoping the audience enjoys it.”

“Suddenly Last Summer”

Ten Fifteen Productions, 1015 Commercial St., Astoria

7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Admission is $15. Masks required and are available at no charge.

www.thetenfifteentheater.com