Sounds of Silence

Ark Theatre Company kicks off its 2005 Fall series with Sounds of Silence, a work-in-progress written and performed by Eliza Jane Schneider. Schneider–best known for her voice work on South Park–uses wit, wisdom, song, and puppets to tackle the political scandal of the 2004 American presidential election. Richard Tatum directs.

Sounds of Silence documents Schneider’s transformation from actress to investigative reporter in Columbus, Ohio–where she spoke with dozens of disenfranchised voters trying to prevent the ratification of Ohio’s stolen electoral votes. All of the words in the script were actually spoken by interviewees; Schneider then shaped them into a journey that will make audiences laugh and cry at the farce of the U.S. democratic system.

Puppets, real digital recordings, folk and rap music add a hilarious physical comedy component to this heart-wrenching and disturbingly true tale of election fraud. Sounds of Silence documents a startling episode in America’s recent history, ignored by the mainstream media. It is an experience not to be missed.