Small Mouth Sounds Has a Quiet Brilliance

Sometimes the most interesting aspect of a piece of art is what it does not include.

Photo by Dan Norman

After all, when we see a play we take for granted that there will be things like lines in it, right?

Photo by Dan Norman

So imagine if a play removed one of its core elements - dialogue - for the majority of the time, and instead had you take a closer look at the gestures and small intimations that actors utilize to convey their characters outside of literal words.

Photo by Dan Norman

That's the concept behind Small Mouth Sounds, a quietly brilliant new play showing at the Jungle Theater. The show focuses on a group of strangers attending a meditation retreat. All are thrilled to go for their own individual reasons, but learn the retreat has one caveat: it is completely silent throughout, and no one except for the teacher will speak for the entire week. This has varying degrees of success at first as characters encounter different obstacles: one woman is forced to share a room with a man and wants to be moved; a couple in the retreat end up in a fight halfway through; a few budding romances take awkward turns. But for the most part, it's a joy watching six completely individual characters find a voiceless peace, each in their own totally unique way.

Photo by Dan Norman

A play this quiet needs a robust cast, and this one is a joy. Christina Baldwin is expressive as ever as Joan, who attends the retreat with her partner Judy (played with tearful, inspiring determination by Faye M. Price) and experiences some heartrending moments. Becca Hart continues her growth into one of my favorite character actresses in #tctheater with a turn as Alicia, Small Mouth Sounds' emotional hurricane. Eric Sharp is a literal heart-breaker as Rodney, the sexy yoga guru with a secret. Michael Curran-Dorsano was surprisingly poignant as the earnest but seemingly cursed Ned. Jim Lichtscheidl lent a quiet profundity to Jan, the most eventually enlightened member of the retreat. And Jay Owen Eisenberg holds it down as the Teacher, who is not only the character with the most lines but is also the only one we never see on stage. Eisenberg gives a fascinating voiceover performance, solidifying his place as one of the most iconic local voices around (and maybe a firm step towards a future career in voiceover work on the silver screen?).

Photo by Dan Norman

Mina Kinukawa's scenic design is a masterful exercise in multifaceted minimism. What appear to be the blank walls of a room at the retreat are retracted like blinds to become trees; the stage rotates on a wheel to provide ever-changing views of deceptively simple pieces, and combined with Karin Olson's elegant lighting, the overall effect retains the feeling of calm, peace and feng shui generated by Small Mouth Sounds' quiet script. Sarah Bahr's costume design cleverly delineates between each character, telling us so much through their appearance that we can't learn through words. And Reid Rejsa's subtle sound design allows the quiet to open up through the theater, enveloping the audience in meditation with the characters and facilitating the effect of every tiny sound.

Photo by Dan Norman

I think Small Mouth Sounds is likely to be an acquired taste for some theater-goers. It is such a different kind of performance, with such different elements than you traditionally see, that you could leave underwhelmed if you're expecting the usual kind of play. I, however, really loved how this flips the script (literally) and forces the audience to do most of the work reading into the performance. We become in communion with the show itself, and the peaceful ambiance generated by the lack of words lets so much more shine through. This is a truly human show that packs a lot of life into 95 short minutes, and I've been smiling on reflection of it ever since. Small Mouth Sounds is on stage through June 16, so make sure to click here for more information or to get your tickets.

Photo by Dan Norman