The Peterborough Players’ second show starts with a bang, landing the audience right in the middle of a bad decision that is about to spiral into chaos throughout the rest of the play.
“A Danger to Yourself and Others,” written by Colette Mazunik and directed by Peterborough Players Artistic Director Brendon Fox, gets its first full production with the Peterborough Players. It’s also the second time the pair has had the chance to work together on the play, with Fox working with Mazunik on the play as part of a script workshop during the Gulfshore Playhouse new works festival. He also directed a public reading of the play in 2024 at the Westport Country Playhouse. Now, it’s on stage for a full production at the Players.
Featuring new works has been a long tradition at the Players, along with more classic works. It’s a chance to see a young play with fresh eyes, and “A Danger to Yourself and Others” is better suited to go in blind than other performances — there are lots of surprises and left turns to keep you guessing.
“A Danger to Yourself and Others” opens with the anxiety-riddled Eddie, played by Avery Whitted, about to attempt a gas station robbery to try to solve his tremendous money troubles. Pushing the usually risk-averse Eddie is his work buddy-come-loan shark, Charlie, played by Rafael Untalan.
Following his mantra to “ignore his gut” — which would have him never get out of bed — Eddie takes a leap, leading to an almost farcical series of events where he and the store clerk, Leah, played by Olivia Gilliatt, go on a whirlwind adventure. Each new decision seems to lead Eddie further into trouble, until he must find his way out of the quagmire he’s landed himself in.
The play is one of twists and turns, where things aren’t always as they seem. Characters blend, once hard-and-fast morality erodes as pressures mount, and the ending, while I won’t spoil it, neatly wraps up arcs for some characters, while others are left ambiguous, and not everyone gets the ending they deserve.
The play leans into Eddie’s anxiety-riddled thoughts with Eddie’s dialogue, which is often rambling and jumping from thought to thought, while remaining sharp and witty. Witted is a standout here, having to balance being a likable protagonist while also see-sawing back and forth on his morality and trying to do the right thing.
The play has an intimate cast of six characters, and is made up of often very short scenes, which can create an atmosphere that lends to the manic nature of the play, but can also come off as choppy, particularly as scenes and set dressings change frequently.
Despite some horrible circumstances for the characters, the dialogue keeps a light tone, with a lot of sneaky comedy from blink-and-you-miss-it lines.
And even though, as the play proves, trusting assumptions and taking risks isn’t always the right choice, sometimes it is. At the end of the day, it’s about creating connections, and not all of them will work out. But finding people you trust can make it worth it.
The Players will be hosting several exciting extra events during the run, including opportunities to hear from playwright Colette Mazunik on July 3 at First Friday in Peterborough, at the Mariposa Museum at 5 p.m., and at the pre-show presentation of “A Danger to Yourself and Others” at 6:30 p.m. at the theater. Dr. Kathryn Moncrief will lead a talkback with Mazunik and Fox, and the cast on Sunday, July 5, following the matinee performance.
A bonus talkback will be held on July 11, following the performance. The Players’ bar will have extended hours after both Thursday and Saturday performances. Additionally, a cabaret will be held on Friday, July 10, following the performance.
The play will run through July 12. “A Danger to Yourself and Others” is co-sponsored by Mascoma Bank and the Monadnock Community Hospital, and the 2026 season is sponsored by Microspec. Tickets are available for purchase through peterboroughplayers.org.