Living in the constant movement that is city life, I often find myself googling “silent retreats in Quebec”. There are interesting options, but they last over a week and I think “there’s no way I can keep quiet for that long!”. And then I give up on the idea. Last week, I discovered a play called Small Mouth Sounds. Wait till you hear about the subject matter! The new play will be performed from February 9th to March 1st at the Segal Centre Studio (5170 Ch. de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine).
Small Mouth Sounds – The Retreat
To start things off, Small Mouth Sounds was written by actress and playwright Bess Wohl and is directed by Segal Centre Artistic Associate Caitlin Murphy. In the play, we meet six stressed out strangers who have left their city lives to join a five day silent retreat. More precisely, the characters are between 30 and 50 years old. They are a pastor, a sex therapist, a yoga teacher, an actor, a magazine editor and a man with really bad luck. This sounds great to me, perhaps it will give me an idea about my googled interest!
Furthermore, The rules of the retreat are simple: complete silence from the participants, no smoking, no cell phones and assigned rooms. More specifically, most of the city-dwellers share a room with a stranger, except for the one lesbian couple who remains together. Not being able to speak, they have to communicate through differences and issues without words. It all seems very difficult but also like an incredible exercise in community.
Laughter Inducing Play
Small Mouth Sounds will include awkward silence and promises to leave your cheeks in pain from laughter. I can’t wait to see the set design, which the Segal Centre always knocks out of the park. Also, they will diffuse incense which will enhance the experience and make the spectator feel like they were on that retreat with the characters.
Focus on the Breath
To conclude, I am looking forward to experiencing a silent retreat close to home and through the amazing power of live theater. Small Mouth Sounds is for all theater lovers, laughter seekers and the meditation curious. For more information about the play and for tickets, you can follow this link. Namaseeyou there!
Finally, I always love the creativity that takes place at the Segal Centre in terms of plays (and musicals!). For another great example, you can check out our article on Winter’s Daughter, a lovely Tableau D’Hôte production that was presented at the Segal Centre last November/December.
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JMSB alumna with a business mind and a creative heart. Prefers any environment where she can combine the two. World traveler who is at her happiest in airports/train stations/bus stands because that usually means she is on her way to explore a fascinating new destination. Curious about the process and history of creators such as Gaudí, Dalí, and Chanel to name just a few. Montrealer who loves discovering art and stories that set the soul on fire, making them all the more exciting to share!
