When I first saw David Cromer’s production of The Band’s Visit off-Broadway, I was enraptured by the quietly heartbreaking beauty of its story. This musical transferred to Broadway and remained an intimate, very focused, purposefully unadorned show. When you have outstanding material, letting it stand on its own can be a perfect strategy. The Sound Inside is a great play by Adam Rapp. Once again Mr. Cromer has mounted an exceptional production which thrills as it travels along a mysterious path.
Mary-Louise Parker portrays Bella, a creative writing professor at Yale. She has written two short story collections and “an underappreciated novel.” In her opening scene, Bella communicates directly to the audience. She jots notes down on her pad as important details need to be written down. Diagnosed with Stage 2 cancer and living alone, the story appears to be a bleak one.
The creative team’s design for this play never lets visual surroundings get in the way of the words. Alexander Woodward’s Scenic Design and Heather Gilbert’s Lighting Design are completely in sync with the tone of the play as it has been staged. Walking outside, there is a darkened hint of a tree which emerges in the background. Bella’s office is cold and sparse. Everything is grays and blacks. Where will this two character play go?
Bella has a student in her freshman writing class. Christopher is, without any doubt, an oddball. He does not use Twitter and refuses to schedule his teacher meetings online. Fighting against everything and everyone that is the Yale stereotype, is he an eighteen year old literary genius in the making? Why so moody? And so rude?
Christopher seems to respect Bella, however, and is presently writing his own novel despite his freshman course load. The manuscript is obviously autobiographical fiction. His protagonist is named Christopher. He admits that the story is somewhat writing itself – or at least the characters are in charge. Bella utters a single line which I wish I heard while struggling through creative fiction writing in college. She tells him, “if your protagonist is leading you then you’ll likely stay ahead of your reader.”
The Sound Inside is a fascinating and complex tale in both storyline and structure. Lovers of fiction and the process by which it is formed have much to savor in this ninety minute dialogue between two practitioners of the craft. The balance between what is real and what is fictional on stage is where this play stays ahead of the listener. Mr. Rapp has created a tightly wrought tale which seems, however, to meander very casually and organically. The prose is often gorgeous.
I have long been a fan of Mary-Louise Parker and her impressive stage career. Her major theatrical achievements include Prelude to a Kiss, Proof, Heisenberg and How I Learned to Drive. Her performance in this play is flawless. Will Hochman has the difficult task of keeping pace with her in a two character study. He was excellent.
There is an important scene between the two where you start to wonder if a romantic angle may develop (the plot considers many different forks though the literary forest). The lighting is warmer than the rest of the play. The depth of the writing and these two actors pull you into this critical moment. You are watching two people in a living room and the large Broadway house disappears. Everyone who participated in this production made that magic happen.
The Sound Inside by Adam Rapp is unquestionably one of the best plays of this season. The production is every bit as good as the writing. This is Broadway at its absolute finest. Listen to the sound inside your head and do your best to see this before it closes.
The Sound Inside is running until January 12, 2020 at Studio 54.