Small Mouth Sounds Opens Dramashop Season

Nicole Lossie

Friday, Sept. 20

Dramashop opens their season with Small Mouth Sounds, a play by Bess Wohl that tells the story of six city runaways who go on a silent retreat in the quiet nature of the woods. There, they learn through the quiet to listen to themselves and face their inner demons. They find their resentments and a deeper understanding of themselves throughout their journey.

With a leader who isn't much help, the other characters find themselves wrestling with themselves and others while on a seemingly peculiar self-help expedition. Their personalities and relationships unfold via facial expressions, and with different character archetypes, there is bound to be a character each audience member can relate to in some way. "It's an ensemble production in the truest sense of the word," says Dramashop Artistic Director Zach Flock. "It's a really powerful, high quality show, but it's unique in that there's very little dialogue. It takes place at a silent retreat, so aside from some conversation at the beginning and end of the retreat, or when characters 'break the rules,' there's basically nobody speaking other than the teacher. And yet, through the silence, something really important is conveyed." Flock concluded that "It's the perfect fit for Dramashop since we're known for embracing the 'different.'"

Guests may find themselves going along this much-needed retreat yourself with the cast. Laced with awkward yet intuitive humor, this play is sure to leave the audience asking how we can address life's big questions when words fail us. "What I hope is that, for at least a few minutes, maybe the audience, in the darkness and silence of the theatre, looks inside themselves, too, and discovers something new in their own silent retreat," Flock said. "In a world where everybody is so interconnected, we sometimes forget to connect to our own self."

Opening night starts with a reception at 7 p.m., with the show beginning at 8 p.m. — Chloe Forbes

Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. through Oct. 5; special 2 p.m. matinée performance Sunday, Oct. 6 // Dramashop 1001 State St., Suite 210 // $25 // dramashop.org