"In a dimly lit, dusty church basement, eight people meet and place their cellphones into a wooden box. Each member of the octet struggles with a dependency upon the very tool that enables us all to enjoy a level of historically unprecedented convenience - the internet. Like the characters, audiences are called to unplug and immerse themselves in the world of Studio Theatre's production of Dave Malloy's unique a capella musical, Octet."
"As if by some miracle, or possibly some algorithmic alchemy, the members were plucked out of the endless scroll and recruited by a mystery individual named Saul to form this support group. In the constant flow of tragic news, funny videos, and a litany of opinions, these eight wandering souls found themselves feeling empty, ostracized or unable to form or maintain the connections to the world around them that they crave."
"The heartbeat of this musical is the eight voices that rise and fall together to weave an intricate tapestry. It details their journeys and their ever-consuming tech addictions. As Paula (played by Tracy Lynn Olivera) leads the group into their first hymn, "The Forest," they sing, " My head was clean and clear, alone without fear. " The Forest stands for that which an ever-present Monster threatens: clarity, contentment, and the immediacy of an analog existence."
Eight people meet in a dimly lit church basement and place their cellphones into a wooden box as part of a support group addressing internet dependency. A mystery individual named Saul recruits them from the endless scroll to form the octet and distribute individualized hymns. The production centers on eight a capella voices that weave an intricate tapestry of personal stories. Characters describe shame, guilt, loneliness, and the compulsive search for online content and dopamine hits. Songs such as "The Forest" frame a yearning for analog clarity while depicting an ever-present Monster of addiction.
Read at Washingtonian - The website that Washington lives by.
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