Adrian Blake Enscoe is an actor and musician starring in “Swept Away,” a Broadway musical about a group of four whalers stranded at sea. Enscoe is also working on developing a Broadway production of “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?” with Peter Hedges, a writer and filmmaker known for “Dan in Real Life,” “About a Boy” and “Ben is Back.”  

“Swept Away” is inspired by an Avett Brothers Band album, “Mignonette,” which is inspired by the historic case R v Dudley and Stevens. The case was the last trial in Britain for cannibalism at sea and set a precedent for maritime law, establishing a moral code in an otherwise lawless portion of the world. 

“The case of the mignonette, that the original Avett Brothers album was inspired by, was the beginning of maritime law,” noted Enscoe. “Before that, the seas were no man’s land, where there was no country that really ruled, and that’s why you had privateers and buccaneers and even state-sponsored pirates, because there was no law out there. It’s kind of the perfect place for a tale about morality and what really makes us human when there’s nothing else in the world to tell us who we are.”

Enscoe is also a musician, and is a third of the band Bandits on the Run. Enscoe noted that his experience with Bandits on the Run influenced his approach to performing in a musical based on a folk-rock album by the Avetts Brothers. 

“Working on ‘Swept Away’ has given me the opportunity to open a little window into another person’s authentic voice and see what’s on the other side of that, and maybe take some imagery, some stylistic qualities, and add them to my own repertoire, which I’ve really liked,” said Enscoe. 

Enscoe has worked on camera as well as on stage, starring in the Apple TV series “Dickinson,” a period drama based on poet Emily Dickinson. Enscoe described the different types of performances he engages with and how he adapts based on the medium. 

“It’s an adjustment that is really just fun to play with. I love the immediacy of playing in front of people. When you’re playing to a camera, it’s delayed gratification. On ‘Dickinson,’ I love the fan base that that we accrued over three years, but a lot of the reaction that I got was through Instagram and social media and occasionally being stopped in the street and gushed to about how people love ‘Dickinson,’ which was really meaningful for me,” said Enscoe. “Doing ‘Swept Away’ in front of an audience night after night, you feel the work changing, and it’s a lot like playing music. You can play the same music and lyrics, but it’ll ultimately be a different song for every audience that you play it to.” 

Enscoe has been working with writer Peter Hedges, the author of the book and screenplay of “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?” to adapt the story to Broadway. Enscoe is composing music for the show with the other members of Bandits on the Run. 

“Peter Hedges approached us with an idea to adapt the book into a musical, and it started off with a bang. He was just like, read the book, see what comes out as far as songs, and within six months, we had around 30 songs,” said Enscoe. “It’s challenging source material. It is full of heart and love, and ultimately, that’s what belies the story underneath everything, but it also has certain aspects of it that Peter has come to realize can be a little harmful, like aspects of ableism and fatphobia. Part of our work that we have uncovered in the last year is going deeper.” 

Enscoe said the story will have a deeper, reflective take as the team behind the musical adaptation of the story navigates the themes with an emphasis on “giving a lot of humanity and dignity” to the characters. 

Enscoe has lived in Brooklyn for over a decade, mainly residing in North Brooklyn, and noted that the culture and energy of the borough have inspired and influenced him as an artist. 

“I’m a Bushwick baby. I came to Bushwick in the early 2010’s,” said Enscoe, who lives near the Evergreen Cemetery in the east side of the neighborhood. 

“I love the community vibes out here. It’s a little quieter,” Enscoe continued. “We’re closer to the cemetery, but it is one of my favorite places in the world, and it brings me such great peace, which is amazing that you can have that in such a bustling city. I go outside, and we’re in this beautiful block of tree-lined streets, and I can see the hills in the distance. Sometimes, I really feel like I’m in a 20th-century Russian play.”

When he has free time or is looking for inspiration in the borough, Enscoe likes to bike on the Belt Parkway bike loop, stroll through Shirley Chisholm Park and visit Coney Island and South Brooklyn for authentic Russian food. Enscoe said his favorite memory at a Brooklyn landmark was at Green-Wood Cemetery when he played with Bandits on the Run for The Moth. 

“It was in the cemetery close to Halloween,” recalled Enscoe. “I was thinking, this is a beautiful cemetery. It is full of sculpture and beautiful landscaping from the 20th century and 19th century. But I was like, ‘Wow, I wonder what these dead people are thinking. I hope that they’re happy that there’s music happening around them.’”

Enscoe also recalled one of his early memories in the borough when he played music during wedding proposals. 

“It was like, pick a song and Adrian will stand in the back with a guitar,” said Enscoe. “It was a very interesting window into how people do that, but a lot of them were at Dumbo Park. That really hammered in the romance of that area with Jane’s Carousel and everything, St. Anne’s warehouse.”

“I feel like you can live in Brooklyn for any amount of time and come out with so many wonderful stories,” said Enscoe. “Brooklyn is such an amazing place, and I continually am unearthing more and more little pockets that I’ve never heard of.”

“Swept Away” begins showing at Longacre Theater on Oct. 29, where Enscoe plays the role of Little Brother. Tickets are available online or at the box office.