You can’t see them. You can’t feel them. And you definitely can’t hear them, but according to anti-Orkin exterminator Leon Lash, we must beware the “diabolical bugs.”

“Infestation,” currently showing at the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, is a dark comedy about the relationship between a neurotic boy, his lonely mother and her homicidal exterminator-boyfriend. Filled with sexual innuendo and Oedipal behavior, this ultra-imaginative play invites the audience to venture into the minds of three dynamic characters and their concerns about bugs, aliens and love. This is BU-trained playwright Payne Ratner’s second production at the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre since the “Repossession” in 1997. Director Wesley Savick, a professor of theatre at Suffolk University, molds Ratner’s vision into an American gothic that redefines the term “infestation.” Savick takes the tale beyond a swarm of bugs seizing someone’s home to an invasion of the mind and heart as well as the body.

The protagonist, Elwin, played by performer/writer John Kuntz, is consumed by paranoia and anger. He hasn’t slept in three months since his alien abduction and refuses to eat anything but Kentucky Fried Chicken for “protein.” His mother, played by Karen MacDonald, has lived alone with Elwin in their farmhouse since the disappearance of her husband 12 years ago.

Desperate for a man’s companionship, Elwin’s mother turns to a nomad exterminator passing through town. He convinces her that her house has been colonized by evil, invisible bugs and proceeds to move in on her and Elwin’s relationship. Elwin’s suspicious nature counters exterminator Leon Lash’s (Michael Walker) parasitic behavior, which leads to the unfolding of other complexities beyond comprehension.

When the audience first encounters Leon, he comes off as a cheap imitation of Steinbeck’s Lenny (“Of Mice and Men”) with his tall, brawny build and his innocence and slow wit. However, once he wins over the heart of Elwin’s forlorn mother, he quickly transforms into the sly, demanding mooch that he is; thus becoming the only real evil insect/parasite in that house. Unfortunately, as creative and interesting as this metaphorical plot is, the production takes way too long to get this understanding across. The audience does not see Leon’s diabolical side until the last few minutes of the first act, leaving the storyline somewhat ambiguous for more than half the play. Although the plot finally becomes more tangible by the second act, the play begins to take a turn toward The Twilight Zone. As Elwin’s character starts to lean more toward his Oedipal tendencies, the audience is left on the edge of their seats wondering what on earth is going on.

While “Infestation” contains some good laughs and symbolic statements, by the end, you’re left more confused than a dizzy hyena. If that makes no sense, then you’ve got the point. “Infestation” may require viewing several performances before one reaches a full understanding, and with eight shows left, there’s plenty of time to crack the mystery.