Yes, there’s a real Jacuzzi on stage. No, that’s not nearly the most fascinating thing about this play

In the best thrillers, the things that are left unsaid and unseen are far scarier than anything revealed onstage. That is particularly true in The Debate Society’s Jacuzzi, which is making its world premiere at Ars Nova. This mysterious theatrical striptease will haunt your thoughts for days after you leave the theater. The play takes place in a well-appointed ski chalet in a remote part of Colorado circa 1991. Scenic designer Laura Jellinek has built the living room along one of the long walls of the theater, creating a very wide playing space and allowing for life-size opulence. Knickknacks adorn the slanted walls. Antique snowshoes are mounted above a credenza. A fake fireplace occupies center stage. A large working Jacuzzi dominates the space between the fireplace and the sliding glass doors that lead to the winter wonderland outside. This is where we find Helene (Hannah Bos) and Erik (Paul Thureen), soaking in the water as they attentively read a parenting book called Making Bobby Robert by Jackie and Robert Elder. Suddenly, the book’s subject, Bo Elder (Chris Lowell) walks into the house wearing a full ski suit. This is his parents’ vacation home and he didn’t expect there to be any renters. It’s bitterly cold outside, so Helene and Erik invite him to stay. It’s the least they could do. After all, they’ve just spent the day reading about the most embarrassing episodes of his childhood.