Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that this material, being fully protected under the Copyright Laws of the United States of America and all other countries of the Berne and Universal Copyright Conventions, is subject to a royalty. All rights, including but not limited to, professional, amateur, recording, motion picture, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio and television broadcasting, and the rights of translation into foreign languages are expressly reserved. Particular emphasis is placed on the question of readings and all uses of this book by educational institutions, permission for which must be secured from the author’s representative: Mark Subias, United Talent Agency, 888 Seventh Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10106, (212) 659-2600.

Old Yeller, by Fred Gipson, copyright © 1956, Harper Perennial Modern Classics, New York, reissued 2009.

The publication of The Sound Inside by Adam Rapp, through TCG’s Book Program, is made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

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ISBN 978-1-55936-977-0 (paperback) / ISBN 978-1-55936-935-0 (ebook)
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.

Book design and composition by Lisa Govan
Cover design by Mark Melnick

First Edition, November 2019

CONTENTS

PRODUCTION HISTORY

CHARACTERS

1

2

3

4

5

EPILOGUE

THE SOUND INSIDE

PRODUCTION HISTORY

The Sound Inside was commissioned by Lincoln Center Theater (André Bishop, Producing Artistic Director; Adam Siegel, Managing Director; Hattie K. Jutagir, Executive Director of Development and Planning). It had its world premiere at Williamstown Theatre Festival (Mandy Greenfield, Artistic Director) in Williamstown, Massachusetts, on June 27, 2018. It was directed by David Cromer. The scenic design was by Alexander Woodward, the costume design was by David Hyman, the lighting design was by Heather Gilbert, original music and sound design were by Daniel Kluger, the projection design was by Aaron Rhyne; the production stage manager was Dane Urban. The cast was:

This production opened on Broadway at Studio 54 on October 17, 2019. The producers were Jeffrey Richards, Lincoln Center Theater, Rebecca Gold, Evamere Entertainment, Eric Falkenstein, Salman Vienn Al-Rashid, Spencer Ross, Filmnation Entertainment/Faliro House, Jane Bergère, Caiola Productions, Mark S. Golub and David S. Golub, Ken Greiner, Gemini Theatrical Investors, Scott H. Mauro, Jayne Baron Sherman, Jacob Soroken Porter, and Williamstown Theatre Festival. The cast and creative team remained the same, except the production stage manager was Richard A. Hodge.

CHARACTERS

BELLA

CHRISTOPHER

1

Bella, a middle-aged woman, emerges from the darkness.

BELLA

(To the audience) A middle-aged professor of undergraduate Creative Writing at a prestigious Ivy League university stands before an audience of strangers. She can’t quite see them but they’re out there. She can feel them—they’re as certain as old trees. Gently creaking in the heavy autumn air.

Is this audience friendly, she wonders? Merciful? Are they easily distracted? Or will they hear this woman out?

And what about her?