The Sound Inside is all about books and college and is a fascinating drama. It features only two characters: a creative writing professor at Yale and her student. The professor is played by Mary-Louise Parker, and before the play began, the audience was told no less than five times to make sure their phones were turned off. Then a theater employee told my mom and me to make sure we didn’t relax and put our feet up on the stage during the show. (My mom always gets kickass seats.) I assured the employee we weren’t tourists.
It made me wonder if Mary-Louise had really straightened out the staff about this, but then the play began, and she essentially had 90 minutes of continuous dialogue, and at one point sat on the edge of the stage, dangling her feet, her face about a foot-and-a-half from us. It was clear that any actor needed full concentration to encompass this role. She’s amazing.
The play is currently running at Studio 54, which had been a CBS studio before its outrageous night club era. It’s now reverted back to being a theater, but still retains much of its 70s gaudiness. Check out the lobby:
