Sobering up after last week’s Shakespearean lunacy, the ’92 Theater welcomes two original dramatic Second Stage shows this weekend: “Turkeys,” written and directed by Anthony Smith ’11, and “Alice Ashes,” by Daniel O’Sullivan ’11. The plays, which opened on Thursday evening, both deal with pain, emotional turbulence, and the nature of human relationships.

Anthony Smith was inspired to write “Turkeys” after watching Seth Rogen in “Knocked Up.” He says that he wanted the play to be a “buddy comedy about gay people,” but after writing a few lines of dialogue, he quickly realized that the subject wasn’t as funny as he first thought. The result is the story of a man who comes out to his wife of twenty years, then must deal with the impact this revelation has on his family.  In Smith’s words, “the play is about how people vacillate between loving themselves and caring for others.”

“Alice Ashes” documents the relationship between an old man named Robert and an old woman named Alice. O’Sullivan describes their friendship as “a pleasant, superficial comfort,” but as the play progresses, “the comfort is stripped away; underneath is sorrow and rage.” A third character, that of the Young Man, observes Alice and Robert from his own lonely world. Of writing “Alice Ashes,” O’Sullivan says, “I was very concerned with the idea of home, with returning. Home can feel very far or very close.  The young man and the old woman feel both these things.” The play also addresses sexual violence (which is represented onstage).

“Turkeys” is playing Friday the 16th and Saturday the 17th at 9:30 p.m., and on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. “Alice Ashes” shows Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., and Saturday at 2 p.m. Both shows are at the Patricelli ’92 Theater, and tickets are free at the box office the day of the show.