Live Theatre Is Back In Arvada With New Play: Small Mouth Sounds
Growing up, I went to the theater almost every month. Front-row seats, in the balcony section, overlooking the orchestra was my home away from home. The theater was a place I could escape from reality and lose myself in stories, music, dancing, and comedy. My parents have always been supportive of the performance arts, and it was important that their children have the same love and respect for the hard work that goes into each and every show.
This last year has been devastating, to say the least. As coronavirus spread, the performance arts shut down leaving many hard-working actors, actresses, lighting and sound technicians, and stagehands out of work. Virtual performances kept things going, but we lost the whirlwind of it all and our chance to escape the chaos of the world.
Arvada Center for Arts & Humanities is one such place that took a hit. Now, with the vaccine rolling out, they will be the first theatre in the region to receive approval by the Actors’ Equity Association to produce indoor theatre with a live audience. Finally, creative workers are able to return to work in a safe environment and earn contributions to health and pension.
Their first production will be Small Mouth Sounds, written by Bess Whol, a piece that was originally set to open last year before the pandemic shut everything down.
The piece is set in a silent yoga retreat where six strangers try desperately to connect despite their vows of silence, a theme that is more relatable than ever after months of quarantine and social distancing.
“This is ‘the little play that could,’ and we are thrilled to be able to share it with our audiences after having to abruptly cancel last year on opening night,” states director Lynne Collins. “The play’s themes of wanting connection and creating meaning in our lives resonate even more so now after a year of keeping apart.”
The Arvada Center’s timely and poignant play, will be running from April 30 to May 30 and will be moved from the black box theatre to the larger, main stage theatre to ensure safe social distancing. You can purchase tickets here or by calling the box office at (720) 898-7200.
