Small Mouth Sounds
Cadence Theatre Company and Virginia Repertory Theatre present Small Mouth Sounds
By Bess Wohl
Running March 7-29 at Virginia Rep’s Theatre Gym
Cadence Theatre Company and Virginia Repertory Theatre are pleased to announce their co-production of Bess Wohl’s Small Mouth Sounds, premiering at Virginia Rep’s Theatre Gym on March 7 and running through March 29, with previews March 5 and 6. This production is part of the Acts of Faith Festival, a vibrant and inclusive community- wide collaboration involving RVA’s theatres and faith communities.
Small Mouth Sounds — “a quiet gem of a play” (Charles Isherwood, New York Times) — brings us into the world of six strangers escaping city life for a silent retreat in the woods. Led by an unseen and enigmatic wellness guru, the attendees vary from ardent devotees to total skeptics. In the isolation of the woods, they are offered the chance to break away from their troubles and find themselves through mindfulness, yoga practice, and, above all, silence. As the leader of the retreat tells them: “Your brilliance, your juiciness, your grudges, your resentment, your enlightenment. It’s all right here. All you have to do is. Listen.”
Attractive at first, these vows of silence become constraints when the retreat attendees recognize what unites them: their achingly human need to connect. At times wildly funny, at times deeply moving, Small Mouth Sounds shows how silence can often speak volumes.
To complement the journey of these characters as they seek to find peace and balance, Cadence Theatre and Virginia Rep will be offering a wellness series running in tandem with the show. CENTERED Stage will consist of 30-minute workshops taking place in the Theatre Gym after select Thursday and Sunday performances. Featuring some of Richmond’s top experts on mindfulness, yoga, and meditation, these workshops are free and open to all ticket holders (space permitting). The schedule for CENTERED Stage is as follows:
March 8: Brief meditation and daily practice tips with Philip Davidson of The Innerwork Center
March 12: Sound therapy with Himalayan singing bowls with Natasha Freeman of Lucid Living
March 15: Resilience and Koru Mindfulness with Amanda Lynch of The Innerwork Center
March 19: Ayurveda with Molly Rachael Bridges of The Indigenous Healing Arts Institute
March 22: Feng Shui with Nitya Griffith of Nitya Living
March 26: Holistic health and mindfulness-based stress reduction led by Korantema Pierce Williams of The Innerwork Center
Follow #centeredstageatcadence on social media for updates on this series.
Small Mouth Sounds is directed by Laine Satterfield (The Mountaintop; Cinderella and Airline Highway for Virginia Rep). The ensemble cast features Larry Cook (Between Riverside and Crazy, Equus) and Lauren Leinhaas-Cook (Equus). Making their Cadence Theatre Company debuts are Marisa Guida, Jenny Hundley, Maura Mazurowski. Jim Morgan, and Adam Valentine. The design team includes Emily Hake Massie (Scenic Designer and Scenic Charge), Sarah Grady (Costumes), Andrew Bonniwell (Lighting), Elizabeth Wilder (Properties), and Joey Luck (Sound).
This production of Small Mouth Sounds is made possible through the generous support of Salomon & Ludwin, the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the CultureWorks Grant Program. Additional support comes from Betsy Rawles and Virginia Public Media.
For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.va-rep.org or call the box office at 804-282-2620.
Small Mouth Sounds contains brief nudity, adult content, and the burning of incense and herbal cigarettes. Recommended for patrons 18+ (ID required). Patrons under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.