In the Silence: A New Musical was written, composed, and orchestrated by Furman senior, Robert Cushing, directed by Katie Jennisen along with Assistant Director Maggie Ramirez and produced by the Pauper Players. Affectionately coined “The Big Sad” by Cushing’s friends in the music department, this labor of love has been in the works for the past six years. With inspiring music, touching scenes and dynamic characters, In the Silence is a moving and deeply meaningful show that fails to leave a dry eye in the audience. The story centers on a family, the Montfords, who live in Sharpsville, Georgia in the 1940s. Mr. Montford is a Baptist minister with a devoted wife (played by Kirby Burgess) and two sons, Sam (played by Raleigh Cothran) and Henry (played by Ethan Durham). When the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, Henry, being the older of the two brothers, sets out to join the war effort along with his two friends, Lee Roy (played by Dylan McCormick) and Joel (played by Carter Gravitt). Jumping forward in time, the majority of the play takes place after Lee Roy and Joel have been discharged from the ongoing war effort. The main character, Sam, is just graduating from high school, and one letter, his college acceptance letter, will determine if he will continue his education or enlist in the war effort.
The black box seating, which means the audience members sat on the stage, was a bold choice for Cushing, but it allowed for the story to come to life in a far more intimate way. Being so close to the action, an audience member couldn’t help but feel connected to the actors. The acting, story, and music were entrancing and this seating choice complemented the style of the musical far better than traditional seating. Additionally, the long intervals between scenes for set changes, although a necessity, offered another flavor that I wasn’t expecting. Along with a charming, in-character reprimand from Sariah Warth’s Clara to her on-stage fiance, Lee Roy, for bumping her with a prop, it gave the audience some time to reflect on (or recover from) the previous scene, and built up the suspense–I couldn’t wait to see what happened next!
A word on the music: wow! From beautiful lamentations to quirky ballads, this show had a wonderful blend of sound. My personal favorites were “Just Keep Smiling,” performed by Warth as Clara, and “I’ll Be There,” performed by Salleigh Harvey as Sam’s best friend, Louise. Warth’s performance was a particular highlight–her beautiful, powerful voice and hilarious execution had me laughing through my tears. Cushing truly held nothing back, giving us songs that would send chills down our spines and bring tears to our eyes in a single, agonizing note. In the Silence: A New Musical is a story of war, self-discovery, loss, bias, fear, love and friendship, and promises a bright future in musical playwriting for one of our very own!