The cast of "Blood on a Cat's Neck." (photo by Lukia Costello)

Rainer Werner Fassbinder, genius of the German New Wave cinema of the 1970s, also penned a number of plays. Torn Space takes a look at Blood on the Cat’s Neck, beginning this week. The story centers on Phoebe Zeitgeist, an extraterrestrial who comes to earth entirely naked in every sense of the word. She explores an unnamed city trying to fit in without ever really understanding. The tale is reminiscent of another New Wave classic, Werner Herzog’s The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser, in which the title character similarly appears out of nowhere and tries to make sense of culture.

We won’t learn why Phoebe Zeitgeist has come to earth until the end. Isn’t that always the way!

Blood on Cat’s Neck continues through May 19. See “On the Boards” for details.