Meeting two human-sized, English-speaking lizards is no day at the beach — unless you happen to be a character in Edward Albee’s Pulitzer Prize winning play “Seascape,” now being staged at the Blackbird Theatre.

For the fantastical, absurdist comedy, which debuted on Broadway in 1975, focuses on a couple (Nancy and Charlie) who stand on the brink of retirement. While discussing their relationship, as well as their dreams, at the beach one day, the two meet a pair of highly evolved lizards, Leslie and Sarah, who engage them in conversation.

The Blackbird Theatre, and “Seascape” director Lynch Travis, originally sought a good vehicle for actress Linda Rabin Hammell. Albee’s “A Delicate Balance” wasn’t the right fit, but something about “Seascape” caught Travis’ eye.

“It was something about the kind of energy and drive that’s necessary for an actor to do a show like this,” said Travis. “This is a show that’s about the process going through so many things — discovery and wonderment and conflict and joy — and (Hammell’s) such a versatile actor. … (The role of Nancy) demands a really wide range of emotion.”

Design details — costumes and makeup, specifically — about the lizards, meanwhile, are mostly being kept under wraps, but given the Blackbird’s small performance space, audience members are sure to get an eyeful during each performance.

Tension surrounds the lizards’ encounter with Nancy and Charlie because the lizards are evolved enough to live on land and speak English, and yet animal enough to move differently and not understand human conventions (like handshakes), as well as some words and phrases.

But even the more recognizable humans in Albee’s script are a bit of a mystery.

“They’re enigmas,” said Travis. “(Albee) doesn’t tell us much of anything about any of the characters. There’s not much backstory provided. There are mentions of kids and the grandkids, … but he leaves you with lots of questions about these people. … Maybe that’s why last line of play is, ‘Begin.’ It’s like saying, ‘OK, let’s find out what questions are.’”

This, combined with “Seascape”’s myriad elements of comedy, fantasy, and absurdism, make the play challenging to gauge in terms of tone; for Travis, that’s part of the fun.

“That’s why the rehearsal process is so fascinating,” he said. “Before we got started, the actors individually, the ensemble, and I might each have our own ideas about what’s funny and what’s serious. … But during the rehearsal process, you get to try different things and see where you end up.”