Playwright Caryl Churchill is known for producing difficult works with socialist-feminist themes. The Skriker is no exception, but its plot, delivered in a stream-of-consciousness format that shifts between the underworld and the modern world, makes for a trying piece.

The work’s challenges are what reportedly drove Forum Theater and Dance to produce the piece. The show has wildly dressed background characters swaying to imaginary music, a sparse set, complex yet confusing lines, and exquisite acting by the main characters. And by the end of the evening, The Skriker leaves you exhausted and somewhat confused, but ultimately satisfied.

The Skriker (Nanna Ingvarsson) is a shape-shifting spirit who molds herself into different characters in order to infiltrate the lives of two young women, Lily (Lindsay Haynes) and Josie (Katie Atkinson). Lily is pregnant, Josie is mentally ill, and it all just gets crazier from there. The Skriker is hell-bent on pursuing Lily’s unborn child, and can blend into the surroundings of the young women by becoming everything from a beggar to a young child, offering the women attention and granting of their wishes. But the young women know that such things usually come with a price.