Storms of family drama brew against the backdrop of a hurricane in the play, ‘Shelter in Place’ – Houston Public Media

Hurricanes are fresh on the minds of much of the Gulf Coast, the southeast, and, of course, Houston. Maybe they're always somewhere in the back of our minds this time of year. And going through a storm is a rite of passage for anyone who's lived in Greater Houston long enough.

The intensity of that experience is the backdrop of a new play — and also perhaps a metaphor for the drama brewing in the particular Texas coastal family at its center.

The production is called Shelter in Place, and it's making its world premiere through Oct. 20 at Pasadena Little Theatre .

The story focuses on a family who runs a bed and breakfast and a stranger who rents a room there as a storm rolls in.

In the audio above, Houston Matters producer Michael Hagerty attends a rehearsal to talk with the cast to find out how you tell a story about a hurricane without traumatizing an audience that might be a little storm weary itself.

And he finds out how you go about making a hurricane funny, because, while the story is actually a comedy, co-director Danny Seibert tells Michael there's more to it.