Small Mouth Sounds – a theatrical experiment with no point of view

Review by Joe Siegel

“Small Mouth Sounds,” Wilbury Theatre Group’s latest production, features people who spend a lot of time not speaking.

Playwright Bess Wohl came up with a unique premise: a retreat in the woods where six strangers gather to heal themselves from various traumas. An unseen mental health counselor (Jennifer Mischley) leads the group through a series of exercises.

“It’s the best kind of vacation,” the counselor tells them.

Ground rules are explained: no alcohol, no cell phones, no smoking, and no bringing food to your rooms. And most important of all, no talking.

Not surprisingly, every single one of these rules is eventually broken.

The cast, which includes Beth Alianiello, Harry Aspinwall, Olivia Hodson, Amie Lytle, and Dave Rabinow, were given a huge challenge. They play these roles competently, using physical gestures and sounds to convey pleasure, pain, anger, you name it.

The participants are assigned two to a cabin. Set designer Keri King constructed three multi-level see-through square boxes, side by side on the stage. There are fir trees all around. The sound effects (babbling streams, falling rain, the growls of an otherworldly beast) enhance the sense of isolation.

One character sits on their bed and chants. Another pops pills. Another uses her mobile phone. Some of the characters strip down to their underwear and jump in a pond – a meaningless episode with no impact on the story.

There’s also a passionate lovemaking session, punctuated by a series of moans and groans loud enough to wake the dead.

The counselor bombards the group with New Age psychobabble about enlightenment and meeting your “true self.”

Ned (Stuart Wilson) has a comic monologue where he details a series of misfortunes: he fell while rock climbing and suffered brain damage. Then he lost his job, he found out his wife cheated on him with his brother, he got robbed, his house burned down, and he started drinking.

Job had an easy life compared to Ned.

The problem is I never felt engaged with the characters, which is a fatal flaw in a drama. Their various dilemmas are all revealed by the end, yet it’s hard to believe they learned anything or grew from their experience. Wohl makes the mistake of believing a gimmick can substitute for genuine storytelling.

“Small Mouth Sounds” is technically well made. Tanya Martin’s direction is polished. I already mentioned the wonderful set design and convincing sound effects.

If this had been intended as a satire of holistic medicine and feel-good therapy, “Small Mouth Sounds” could’ve been a lot of fun. Instead, it’s just a theatrical experiment with no point of view.

I’m sure there are plenty of people who spend a lot of money attending one of these weird health retreats. Some may find a sense of healing from the experience. If they do, good for them.

As for me, I’d prefer to avoid the mosquitos and the bears by staying home and listening to a meditation CD. Plus, indoor plumbing.

Small Mouth Sounds runs through February 15. Wilbury Theatre Group. Performances at Waterfire Arts Center, 475 Valley St., Providence, RI. Runtime is 95 minutes with no intermission. For tickets, call 401- 400-7100 or visit thewilburygroup.org.

Photos by Erin X. Smithers. Beth Alianiello, Dave Rabinow, Stuart Wilson.

The cast of Small Mouth Sounds.