For the fourth go-around of the Lights up! series at the Illusion Theatre, the creators decided it was time for something a bit lighter. "Considering the tough times, we thought it would be a good change for people," says Nathan Christopher, one of the creators of "The Flickering Wall," which plays through Feb. 1.

In past years, the program — occurring in the last two weeks of January — has staged a variety of plays and forms, often tackling tough subjects. This year, the group heads into a fresh direction: a site-specific production that will take the audience into the inner workings of a theater.

While the intent is for something lighter, that doesn’t mean there isn’t some deep thought going on here. The title draws from Plato’s story about the true nature of the world — that what we actually see are just shadows of reality, flickering on a cave wall.

Once the idea was in place, Christopher sketched out scenes that could play in different spaces throughout the Illusion’s facilities on Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis. Actors and other creators added their own levels. "The actors are the ones who have really made this work. They’ve really been willing to take it on," he says.

Through the evening, the audience will get pieces of the story, but it won’t come in a linear fashion. "The idea is to have an unclear narrative; where everything isn’t spelled out," Christopher says.

During the evening, the audience "will see places they usually don’t see when they come to the theater," Christopher says. "It will give them a different view of it all. What they see on stage is so well-prepared and rehearsed they don’t realize the day-to-day chaos that can occur."

"The Flickering Wall" runs through Feb. 1 at the Illusion Theatre, 528 Hennepin Ave. Space is limited and audiences should be ready to move from place to place during the evening. Tickets are $15. Details: 612-339-4944 or online.