A Conversation with Director Trace Oakley, “You Cannot Know the Hour,” The Sherry Theatre, by James Scarborough

“You Cannot Know the Hour” plunges into the murky waters of guilt, innocence, and psychological manipulation. Director Trace Oakley, known for his deft handling of complex narratives, brings Katrina Wood’s new psychological thriller to unsettling life at the Sherry Theatre. The play centers on Mr. Brown, a cantankerous widower whose world becomes increasingly unstable with the arrival of a mysteriously adversarial nurse and visitations from his deceased wife’s ghost. Raquis Da’Juan Petree embodies Brown’s deteriorating grip on reality, while Claudia Wit infuses the nurse with a calculated ambiguity that keeps audiences guessing about her true motives. The production draws strength from its mid-century mystery thriller roots but transcends mere homage through its exploration of moral ambiguity and unreliable perspective. The ghostly presence of Helen, portrayed by Thea Lux, serves as both conscience and accuser, raising questions about memory, guilt, and redemption. Wood’s script weaves together elements of psychological horror and classic mystery, creating a 75-minute descent into uncertainty that challenges audiences to question every revelation.

Below follows an email conversation with Trace Oakley:

JS: How did your previous collaborations with Katrina Wood influence your approach to directing this psychological thriller?

TO: My three previous shows with Katrina have all been very different from one another and the first two were musicals, so this feels like new territory, as opposed to a writer with recognizable tendencies. There are definitely some similarities between the lead male characters in POW AND THE GIRL and this new play. The former was based on her father and this play is very personal to her as well, so I ask her specific questions then let the conversation flow. As to my approach, I am handling much more as a suspense-thriller, than as an “issue play” or a commentary. I have no desire to spoon feed the audience a conclusion. I want there to be doubt. I want them to argue about it on the car ride home.

JS: The play challenges the audience’s perception of truth and reality. How did you work with Raquis Da’Juan Petree to develop Mr. Brown’s unreliable perspective?

TO: In this case, I have left the actual guilt of the character up to Raquis. That isn't a hard-and-fast rule, but it's inherent to this script. As far as his perspective, I have brought up cases like O.J. Simpson, where after a fairly short time, O.J. had convinced himself he didn't do it. I think the longer someone gets away with something, the more transactional the denial becomes, and the guilt lessens. The additional wrinkle here is that the character is recovering from a major surgery, and his mind may...or not be playing tricks on him.

JS: How did you and Art Wood collaborate on the sound design to enhance the play’s psychological tension?

TO: The great thing about working with Art on Katrina's shows, is that being married to her, he is already highly familiar with the story and has been thinking about the sound long before we start production. In the next week or two, Art will watch a run-thru or two and see some of the moments that will either require sound enhancement or can be more effective with some audio elements. Particularly some of the ghostly stuff Helen is doing.

JS: In what ways does Jennifer Skiffington’s portrayal of Clara, the housekeeper, serve as an anchor in the increasingly unstable world of the play?

TO: Clara is actually the opposite of an anchor. Her appearance creates an additional layer of doubt and disruption. Jenny, herself, is such a wonderful stabilizing presence, it's ironic to have her play a character that takes a twisty story and makes us take yet another unexpected turn.

JS: Discuss how Claudia Wit developed the nurse’s character to maintain the ambiguity about her true intentions.

TO: This role is such a perfect fit for Claudia, because she's inherently likable and very funny in a way that sneaks up on you. She can then turn tragic or terrifying on a dime. She and I have worked together multiple times, so there's a tremendous comfort level. We are enjoying working on the little details that will seem like quirks initially but later inform the nurse's actual intentions.

JS: How does Thea Lux’s portrayal of Helen’s ghost serve both as a supernatural element and as a vehicle for exploring Brown’s conscience?

TO: I told Thea immediately upon meeting her that I love ghosts and I have directed numerous plays with supernatural elements. I told her I like ghosts to be somewhat disabled or not fully in control of their bodies, so we started with that. As much as the ghost comes on strong and can be frightening, they are not able-bodied humans, so there are interesting physical limitations. In terms of the mental approach to Helen, she has a clear agenda. Being dead, she doesn't have to worry about making a living, picking up the kids or making a happy life for herself. She is there to remind Mr. Brown of his failing as a husband and what she believes he did. Doing so from the afterlife is even more poignant and impactful.

JS: What elements of mid-century mystery thrillers did you draw upon in your direction?

TO: I think 1940s/50s noir informs so much of my work, even when doing comedies. Its rhythms are so interesting and so effective in telling a story. Taking a noir approach to dialogue can be really useful, because it's kind of a hybrid of conversation and narration. The nurse here is very much a noir anti-heroine and Helen is reminiscent of ghosts in some of the really compact and terrifying ghost stories I love.

JS: How did you work with Alex Salkin to coordinate the technical aspects necessary for creating the play’s supernatural elements?

TO: Still working on that. I am forever trying to find a way to make a character magically appear or disappear onstage.

JS: The play runs 75 minutes without intermission. How did you approach pacing to maintain dramatic tension throughout?

TO: Pacing is its own art. Just like a symphony isn't all fast or slow or loud or quiet. We spend a lot of time on pace for specific scenes or sections of scenes. And sometimes one character's pace in a scene completely differs from another's.

Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 7:00 p.m., from March 1 through March 16, 2025, with a preview on Friday, February 28. Tickets are $25. The Sherry Theatre is located at 11052 Magnolia Boulevard, North Hollywood, California 91601. For more information, click here.