Small Mouth Sounds at Maryland Ensemble Theatre Is a Quietly Powerful Evening of Theatre

In a world that rarely stops talking, Bess Wohl's Small Mouth Sounds dares audiences to sit with silence — and what emerges is frequently funny, deeply moving, and unlike anything else on a stage right now. Now playing at the Maryland Ensemble Theatre in downtown Frederick, Maryland through March 15, 2026, this production directed by Peter Wray gathers six strangers at a week-long silent retreat and asks a deceptively simple question: what happens when you take away people's words?

Small Mouth Sounds at Maryland Ensemble Theatre

The premise is irresistible. Six individuals arrive at a remote retreat led by a Teacher they never see, heard only as a disembodied voice over a microphone dispensing guided meditations and increasingly pointed house rules. Each retreater has come carrying their own baggage — fractured relationships, personal grief, restless anxiety, spiritual yearning — and as the days of enforced quiet stretch on, their inner lives spill out through gestures, glances, and the small involuntary sounds that betray what words try to hide.

What makes this production so compelling is the ensemble's extraordinary commitment to physical storytelling. With dialogue stripped to a minimum for most of the show, the cast communicates volumes through facial expressions, body language, and beautifully timed reactions. There are moments of exquisite tenderness, like a scene between Judy, played by Julie Herber, and the gentle young Jan, played by Willem Rogers, that begins with nothing more than a shared granola bar and blossoms into one of the warmest exchanges of the evening. Their quiet bond radiates an emotional authenticity that spoken dialogue might only diminish. Rogers, a recent Towson University graduate, brings an earnest sweetness to his role that anchors some of the production's most affecting moments — his character is the only retreater who never speaks until the very end, and the restraint makes his presence all the more magnetic.

Equally captivating is the wordless relationship between Joan, played by Lisa Burl, and Herber's Judy. The tension, tenderness, and jagged edges of their partnership unfold entirely through glances and gestures, and the two actors make every unspoken exchange land with precision. One particular moment — a silent discovery involving a written intention pulled from the wrong bag — is a masterclass in physical storytelling that conveys more than any monologue could.

When speech does arrive, it lands like a thunderclap. Adam R. Adkins delivers a breathtaking monologue as Ned, a sad-eyed retreat-goer who finally breaks the silence rule to pour out his life story in a torrent of grief, self-deprecating humor, and raw confession. It is the emotional centerpiece of the production, performed with such depth and vulnerability that the contrast with the surrounding quiet makes it feel seismic. Adkins also mines wonderful comedy from his character's smaller moments of bewilderment and his ongoing comic friction with Fred Fletcher-Jackson's Rodney, who radiates a practiced zen calm that stands in sharp contrast to his fellow retreaters' barely contained chaos.

Mallorie Stern's Alicia brings a restless, modern energy — sneaking snacks, desperately searching for a cell signal — that provides some of the biggest laughs. But her character also reaches a genuinely affecting crescendo in a late scene where she stumbles through the woods trying to leave a voicemail, physically struggling to find words after days without them. It is a moment that captures something profound about how silence can strip away our defenses.

The unseen Teacher, voiced by Elisa Rodero, provides some of the production's sharpest comedy. Her delivery shifts seamlessly from soothing spiritual platitudes to hilariously specific restrictions on technology use, capturing the gentle absurdity of the wellness retreat world with perfect comic timing. When the Teacher's own composure finally cracks, it serves as a potent reminder that no amount of deep breathing can hold everything at bay forever.

The technical design deserves special praise. Tom Majarov's immersive sound design conjures the natural world around the retreat with remarkable detail — chirping insects that settle into a hypnotic nighttime rhythm, the gentle lap of a distant lake, and one memorably insistent tree frog that seems to have its own opinions about the proceedings. The soundscape doesn't just set a scene; it fills the silence with life and becomes almost another character in the production. Will Heyser-Paone's lighting design transitions beautifully through the passage of days, with warm golds giving way to subdued blues as night falls over the retreat, guiding audiences through the week with subtlety and grace.

At approximately 100 minutes with no intermission, the production moves with clean, efficient pacing that keeps the energy flowing even in its quietest stretches. The intimate staging at MET puts audiences close to the action, making every raised eyebrow and suppressed smile part of the shared experience.

Downtown Frederick itself adds to the occasion. The MET is housed in the historic FSK Hotel building, and the surrounding neighborhood — with its independent bookshops, excellent restaurants, and welcoming arts community — gives the whole evening an off-Broadway quality that makes the trip well worth it. The theatre has even partnered with Yogamour Healing Arts Studio to offer pre-show breathing exercises, easing audiences into the meditative spirit of the play before a single actor takes the stage. Attend a Yogamour class through March 15 and you can receive a complimentary ticket to the show.

Small Mouth Sounds is a theatrical experience that lingers. In its best moments — and there are many — it reminds us that the most meaningful connections often happen in the spaces between words, and that sometimes the bravest thing a person can do is simply be present with another human being in shared silence.

Small Mouth Sounds plays through March 15, 2026 on the Main Stage of the Maryland Ensemble Theatre, located in the Historic FSK Hotel building at 31 W. Patrick Street in downtown Frederick, MD. Tickets range from $15 to $36 and can be purchased by calling the box office at (301) 694-4744 or online at marylandensemble.org. Pay-What-You-Will discounts are available for students, seniors, and military starting at $7 per performance while supplies last. Running time is approximately 100 minutes with no intermission.