Now on stage in Boston, Ralph Ellison’s 1952 novel “Invisible Man” seethes, groans, pummels, sighs, and dreams. Gunshots ring out but you also hear music that Ellison mentions in the novel — blues, jazz, and the recordings of Louis Armstrong.

Through the entire production, the unnamed narrator, played by Teagle F. Bougere, remains on stage, sometimes peering into the audience in a way that makes you feel he is addressing you, personally. That’s especially true when the house lights go up, and there is no darkness in which to hide.