It’s a simple country hideaway; rustic, quiet, pastoral. A no-frills house with just the basics — no Wi-Fi, no phone, nothing cushy. Maybe there’s no running water, maybe the only heat is a wood fire. 

However it looks, it provides an escape from urban life, a return to simplicity and joy a “stripped down aesthetic” can bring.  

Founder and director Mike Lion, originally of Moscow, explained what “Dacha” means in Russian: summerhouse. He and his cohorts feel it’s the perfect way to describe the brand of theatre they bring to the table. Devised, immersive, playful; Dacha Theatre a little escape from reality.

Emily Huntingford,  artistic director and co-producer of “Star Play,” has a family history in Port Townsend dating back to the 1860s. She grew up participating in Key City Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Park series nearly every summer, and is looking forward to bringing a family oriented double feature “back home.” (It’s not surprising, then, to learn Key City Theatre is hosting the two plays Saturday Aug. 21.)

Huntingford said Dacha does things a little differently from other theatre companies, and from their Seattle neighbors. 

Dacha performances are “devised,” not scripted, a bit like a live-stream rehearsal of improv, often with the same musicians composing for the play. It’s the physical equivalent of a living script, where each rehearsal informs the narrative. 

Dacha also brings an immersive experience to the crowd, and the “audience is a direct part of the story,” she explained. They get to “respond in the moment to what is happening” around them.

Opening the Dacha Theatre’s double-feature is “Star Play,” beginning at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21 at Chetzemoka Park.

Directed by Kate Drummond and co-produced with Huntingford, this 90-minute adventure follows the trajectory of a small star on a mission. 

Inspired by the Pleiades Cluster, which has one star that appears intermittently because it flickers, Drummond’s intergalactic frolic was inspired a few years back by this cluster of stars that can be seen nearly anywhere in the world.

“Almost every culture in the world has an origin myth surrounding [Pleiades],” Drummond said. 

As her fascination with the nebulous Seven Sisters’ star grew, the media blew up simultaneously with the news that a supergiant star, Betelgeuse, might be go supernova. “Star Play” morphed into a tale about a small star trying to save a large supergiant. 

It’s a journey of self-discovery, and about “how we can find hope,” she said. 

Drummond added that the end might surprise the audience. 

“Star Play” follows an unusual premise, but the real show-stopper might be watching the actor’s rapport with each other. 

The “actors are very confident,” said Drummond, herself an “intimacy director.”

But that took honesty and ongoing discussion about boundaries, not something conventional theatre represents. There’s a traditional romanticization of exhaustion and physical pain that’s a very real part of the history of theatre, she said. 

Coupled with an apprehension of physical closeness in a post-COVID world, Drummond felt she needed to bring a new ritual to rehearsal: “Conversations about contact.” 

There were themed weeks — “hands, arms, shoulders” — where Drummond and her cast were frank about their needs.

“I don’t really like my ankle touched,” she said as an example. “And then we say, ‘OK, your ankle never has to be touched again.’” 

With clear boundaries around their own bodies, the trust the show’s actors have is palpable.

Drummond said that ages 8 and up might enjoy “Star Play” most, although there have been younger fans at a few performances that have made it all the way through.

Lion’s latest performance, “Dears in Headlights,” began from a place of “wanting to explore clowning.” 

Clowns, Lion explained, distill language into movement. 

This 90-minute play follows “Star Play” at 8 p.m., and switches venues to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. 

“Dears in Headlights” is dialogue-free but chock-full of narrative. His cast had to develop their individual clown personas and completely immerse in physical theatre. 

Clowns have “complete transparency,” he said, which activates the “mirror neurons of the audience.” It’s almost impossible not to react in some way to the performance because of its personal nature. 

With an homage to the classic drive-in, Lion’s audience has multiple opportunities to interact with the cast, a unique approach Dacha Theatre champions. 

The eight vehicle spaces have sold out, but there are unlimited tickets for bring-your-own chairs and blankets, Huntingford said. 

These seats are “front and center and have an excellent view of the stage,” and include an opportunity for masked folks to be part of “interaction elements” on stage with the cast. General admission tickets, where folks can sprawl out on the lawn, are also available. “Dears in Headlights” is a pay-what-you-can event. 

Lion is emphatic that no one will be turned away for financial reasons. 

“I want people to be able to come and see this play for a dollar,” he said.

“I’m excited to be coming to the arts-based community [of Port Townsend],” Lion said. 

“Dears in Headlights” and “Star Play” are “really joyous,” Huntingford added. 

The entire cast and crew are vaccinated. Admission is pay as you can from $1 to $50. For more information, visit dachatheatre.com/summer.html.