Photos: SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS At Wilbury Theatre Group

Wilbury Theatre Group is presenting the professional Rhode Island premiere of Small Mouth Sounds by Drama Desk Award Winner Bess Wohl, directed by Tanya Martin.  The cast features Beth Alianiello, Harry Aspinwall, Olivia Hodson, Amie Lytle, Jennifer Mischley, Dave Rabinow and Stuart Wilson with scenic design by Keri King, prop design by Monica Shinn, costume design by Dustin Thomas and sound and lighting design by Andy Russ. The production runs January 29 - February 15, 2026. 

In the overwhelming quiet of the woods, six runaways from city life embark on a silent retreat. As these strangers confront internal demons both profound and absurd, their vows of silence collide with the achingly human need to connect. Filled with awkward and insightful humor, Small Mouth Sounds is a unique and compassionate play that asks how we address life’s biggest questions when words fail us.

Wohl was initially inspired to write this work after attending a silent retreat, herself, led by a Buddhist nun. In an interview with Los Angeles Magazine, she explains: “Part of what I’m interested in is the way we make a host of assumptions about someone before meeting them. Somebody enters, and you go, ‘Oh, I know that guy’…I’m casting the audience as detectives and you discover whether your assumptions were confirmed or contradicted…The goal is a partnership between the actors and the audience–meeting each other halfway.”