Auditions for "Small Mouth Sounds"
Out of Pocket is excited to announce auditions for Small Mouth Sounds" by Pulitzer-Prize-winning playwright Bess Wohl, the second show of its 2026-2027 season. Directed by Stephanie Roosa with assistance by Jamie DiGiacco, this strange and compassionate play asks how we address life’s biggest questions when words fail us.
Auditions will be held at the MuCCCC on Tuesday, December 8th. Callbacks will be held on Wednesday, December 9th.
All auditions are by appointment only. Please email [email protected] to reserve an audition slot.
If you are unable to attend auditions, email [email protected] about submitting a video audition.
Those auditioning are asked to provide an acting resume, schedule of conflicts between January 3rd and February 20th, and a headshot, if available. Please note: additional conflicts following the audition process may result in the recasting of a role.
Auditionees will be asked to read sides from the play. Those auditioning should be familiar with the play if possible - a copy of the script is available here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15xgNV5peuxbyJGX46FPcXEDGW-zXdnR8/view?usp=drive_link
Rehearsal Period: Rehearsals begin January 3rd, typically rehearsing Sunday through Thursday evenings. Friday and Saturday rehearsals may be scheduled based on rehearsal progress and cast availability.
Tech Schedule: Sunday, February 21st through Thursday, February 25th
Production Dates: 2/26 (7:30), 2/27 (7:30), 2/28 (2:00), 3/4 (7:30), 3/5 (7:30), 3/6 (7:30)
Strike: Sunday, 3/7
Please note - actors can have no conflicts during tech week and strike.
Production will be staged at the Multi-Use Community Cultural Center.
Synopsis:
In the overwhelming quiet of the woods, six runaways from city life embark on a silent retreat, run by an unseen teacher, or guru. When the layers of their daily lives are shed, from their designer clothes to sexual proclivities, their despair is primal. These strangers – partners Joan and Judy, former child actor Alicia, outdoors-hating Ned, gorgeous yoga teacher Rodney and Jan, a Pastor who hails from a small town in Finland and who has over-estimated his English language skills – must confront internal demons. Both profound and absurd, their vows of silence collide with the achingly human need to connect.
Available Roles:
(roles for 3 male identifying actors, 3 female-identifying actors, 1 male or female):
NED – Somewhere in his 40s, has had a severe run of bad luck worse than the worst country-western song
RODNEY – Mid-30s, ageless, fit, gorgeous, grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and teaches yoga in New York and the Hamptons (in the summer). He is married to a woman named Nadine who also teaches yoga. Rodney and Nadine have had articles about them in various local yoga magazines and are designing a line of vegan bags, wallets, and jewelry together.
JAN – 50-ish, is from a small town in Finland. He misses his son. He is hoping maybe this retreat will have an answer for him, where more traditional religious experiences have failed. He also greatly overestimated his familiarity with the English language.
JOAN – Late 40s, wears a lot of clothes and jewelry from India. She is a therapist and sex educator in colleges, high schools, and in private practice with couples.
JUDY – Maybe 50, is Joan’s partner. She works at O magazine as a top editor in the art department – a few times a year, she finds herself in the same room with Oprah. She’s the kind of person who only needs four hours of sleep per night. She gets a lot of email.
ALICIA – 30-ish, strawberry-blonde (sometimes more strawberry, sometimes more blonde) from Southern California. She is the kind of person who manages to make a lot of noise even when she’s “in silence.” She has zippers on her clothes and bag. She has wrappers that must be unwrapped. She has bracelets that jangle.
TEACHER – Played by a disembodied, androgynous voice with a strange, slightly accented way of talking (while off-stage, this is a substantial and important role)
Notes on Casting: Ages listed are the ages of the characters during the course of the play. Out of Pocket practices color-conscious and body-positive casting
Auditions will be held at the MuCCCC on Tuesday, December 8th. Callbacks will be held on Wednesday, December 9th.
All auditions are by appointment only. Please email [email protected] to reserve an audition slot.
If you are unable to attend auditions, email [email protected] about submitting a video audition.
Those auditioning are asked to provide an acting resume, schedule of conflicts between January 3rd and February 20th, and a headshot, if available. Please note: additional conflicts following the audition process may result in the recasting of a role.
Auditionees will be asked to read sides from the play. Those auditioning should be familiar with the play if possible - a copy of the script is available here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15xgNV5peuxbyJGX46FPcXEDGW-zXdnR8/view?usp=drive_link
Rehearsal Period: Rehearsals begin January 3rd, typically rehearsing Sunday through Thursday evenings. Friday and Saturday rehearsals may be scheduled based on rehearsal progress and cast availability.
Tech Schedule: Sunday, February 21st through Thursday, February 25th
Production Dates: 2/26 (7:30), 2/27 (7:30), 2/28 (2:00), 3/4 (7:30), 3/5 (7:30), 3/6 (7:30)
Strike: Sunday, 3/7
Please note - actors can have no conflicts during tech week and strike.
Production will be staged at the Multi-Use Community Cultural Center.
Synopsis:
In the overwhelming quiet of the woods, six runaways from city life embark on a silent retreat, run by an unseen teacher, or guru. When the layers of their daily lives are shed, from their designer clothes to sexual proclivities, their despair is primal. These strangers – partners Joan and Judy, former child actor Alicia, outdoors-hating Ned, gorgeous yoga teacher Rodney and Jan, a Pastor who hails from a small town in Finland and who has over-estimated his English language skills – must confront internal demons. Both profound and absurd, their vows of silence collide with the achingly human need to connect.
Available Roles:
(roles for 3 male identifying actors, 3 female-identifying actors, 1 male or female):
NED – Somewhere in his 40s, has had a severe run of bad luck worse than the worst country-western song
RODNEY – Mid-30s, ageless, fit, gorgeous, grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and teaches yoga in New York and the Hamptons (in the summer). He is married to a woman named Nadine who also teaches yoga. Rodney and Nadine have had articles about them in various local yoga magazines and are designing a line of vegan bags, wallets, and jewelry together.
JAN – 50-ish, is from a small town in Finland. He misses his son. He is hoping maybe this retreat will have an answer for him, where more traditional religious experiences have failed. He also greatly overestimated his familiarity with the English language.
JOAN – Late 40s, wears a lot of clothes and jewelry from India. She is a therapist and sex educator in colleges, high schools, and in private practice with couples.
JUDY – Maybe 50, is Joan’s partner. She works at O magazine as a top editor in the art department – a few times a year, she finds herself in the same room with Oprah. She’s the kind of person who only needs four hours of sleep per night. She gets a lot of email.
ALICIA – 30-ish, strawberry-blonde (sometimes more strawberry, sometimes more blonde) from Southern California. She is the kind of person who manages to make a lot of noise even when she’s “in silence.” She has zippers on her clothes and bag. She has wrappers that must be unwrapped. She has bracelets that jangle.
TEACHER – Played by a disembodied, androgynous voice with a strange, slightly accented way of talking (while off-stage, this is a substantial and important role)
Notes on Casting: Ages listed are the ages of the characters during the course of the play. Out of Pocket practices color-conscious and body-positive casting
Where is it happening?
MuCCC, 142 Atlantic Ave, Rochester, NY, United States, New York 14607
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