To kick off the new year, No Refund Theatre has brought a new production: “The Sound Inside,” written by Adam Rapp. It’s a small-cast drama, centering around a Yale creative writing professor and her student. While small in scale, the story’s scope is vast, covering topics of life, death, art, and much more than a post like this should contain.

The show follows Bella Baird, a creative writing professor at Yale, who mentors a student named Christopher, and the two form an intense bond. Rapp’s play follows the pair after Baird makes a strange request of Christopher.

The director, Ryder Quiggle, is drawn to these small-cast dramas, calling them his “bread and butter.” A third-year student, he’s done plays with big casts and even musicals, but he returned to his favorite style this week.

After searching through dozens of options, Quiggle settled on “The Sound Inside,”

“This is the one that I really found the most impactful to me, script alone,” Quiggle said.

The story itself is very well written, but the cast and crew really make it shine. The workhorses at NRT have created one of their most intricate and elaborate sets yet, and every line is delivered with deliberation. The passion and effort are clear in every moment.

Third-year student Elainna Kunkler-Peck took the role of Baird.

“Everything I do up there is intentional, there’s thought behind it, everything is a conscious choice,” Elainna said.

Peter Cote, in his second-ever NRT performance, shined in the drama’s performance.

“It’s a very moving experience, it’s a play that challenges you. It’s not something anyone’s ever seen, and I think it’s very much worth a look,” Cote said.

Brave the cold and go see “The Sound Inside,” another excellent production by No Refund Theatre. It’s showing from Thursday, January 16, to Saturday, January 18, in Forum 111. Tickets are free, and there are no refunds.

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