On a chilly Monday night in early April, the empty historic Grain Belt Office Building in Northeast Minneapolis is dark except for dim lights emanating from the second floor windows. The doors are locked, the bell doesn’t seem to work. Then a robust young man who introduces himself simply as Tyson appears in a pickup truck, and with the confidence of someone who knows he is expected, bangs on the door. Soon, we are inside.

Tyson disappears up the steps and I soon follow in search of Gulgun Kayim, founding member and co-artistic and managing director of Skewed Visions, a theater company formed ten years ago on the principle that any place can be a stage. This evening they are preparing and rehearsing Days and Nights, a trilogy of shows—two plays and a film—that will be presented right here, in this empty historic building, April 14 through May 14.

Gulgun Kayim is reading something about Bruno Schulz to the two actors flanking her sides, they are sitting on the green-carpeted floor, leaning against the wall. She interrupts herself to shake my hand and explain things to me, but I know the evening is getting late and their opening is in less than two weeks, so I offer to just sit and listen.

This play is The Hidden Room, it tells the story of Schulz, a Polish novelist and painter—and a Jew—considered to be one of the greatest Polish prose stylists of the 20th century, who was killed by a Nazi officer in 1942 at the age of 50. But he was also protected and employed by a Nazi officer named Landau, who will be portrayed by Tyson Forbes, the young man who helped me gain entry to the building. I realize later that I am confused as to whether his protector and killer are the same man or two different men; I may have to wait for the full performance to find out.

Ms. Kayim is comparing Schultz’s situation to that of the miller’s daughter in the fairy tale Rumplestiltskin, who must labor long hours spinning straw into gold for her own survival’s sake. Ms. Kayim has chosen to incorporate this fairy tale into the play not only for this reason, but because Schulz himself was a writer of fairy tales.

As the actors discuss and rehearse their lines, she takes me on a tour of the nine rooms where the play will be performed by nine actors; and will also incorporate the puppetry of Michael Sommers, artistic director of Open Eye Figure Theatre. http://openeyetheatre.org

Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves in one room are beginning to fill with haphazard stacks of books, a long ladder leans against the wall in another room, then we head down a hall to a vault: the metal door is painted with ornate German-style floral motifs, the inside is lined with metal shelves and compartments. Apart from the high ceiling, it is about the size of a walk-in closet. It is for a scene in which Schulz’s father has a panic attack because a crowd rushes into his store room. “This is the reason we must limit our audience to 20 persons each night,” she explains, adding, “You can’t not use that room—look at it, it’s fantastic.”

Downstairs, another founder and co-artistic and managing director Charles Campbell is working with writer-performer Cherri Macht on A Quiet Ambition, a two-person play that explores the contrasting experiences of two people, one who is lost, one who is at home, and the different ways they relate to their surroundings.

It makes use of a wide variety of types of rooms, innovative water features, and another, much larger vault. No room is omitted from this show, although some will be art installations without actors. “We have all these rooms, are we going to use them?” asks Macht. “Closing them would be kind of cheating, the rooms are there,” she explains.

The third feature, which will actually take place between the two plays in this two-and-a-half-hour evening, is a film called Time for Bed, which borrows something from each of the plays in a parody that they say will explore childhood, fantasy, and obsession. It is filmed entirely with dolls and other objects, and it, too, will be shown in more than one room.

The bright crescent moon rises just above the ornate renovated Grain Belt Brewery across Marshall street from the office building. Although the office building looks no different than it did when I first arrived here this evening, I now know that it is hardly empty.

Performances of Days and Nights take place Fridays–Sundays, 7 p.m., April 14 to May 14, and Thursdays April 20 and 27. Grain Belt Office Building, 1215 Marshall St. NE. $18 for one show, $32 for both (the film in between is included); $10 on Thursdays. Limited to 20 people per show, recommended for adults due to mature themes. 612/201-5727. www.skewedvisions.org

The Hidden Room by Gulgun Kayim employs puppetry and live actors. Performer: Vanessa Voskuil. Photograph by Willis Bowman.