What is the value of a quiet moment?

VIEW LARGER Promotional poster for "One Twig at a Time" by Wolfe Bowart.

In a world where so many things fight for our attention through noise, what is the value of a quiet moment? Next, we’ll look at the power and importance of silence, from four different angles.

Featured on the April 13th, 2023 edition of ARIZONA SPOTLIGHT with host Mark McLemore:

• Wolf Bowart is a Tucson native who has become a world renowned creator & performer in the realm of physical theater. Bowart tells stories without words, and his new production “One Twig at a Time” transforms the Scoundrel & Scamp stage into an enchanted village where inanimate objects often have a mind of their own. Wolfe Bowart tells Mark about creating complex silent communication between seven multigenerational actors and the audience.

Wolfe Bowart

• The Invisible Theatre presents “Small Mouth Sounds”, a play about six strangers who meet at a silent retreat. Each character has their own story to tell, but their vows of silence means they must build connections in new and expressive ways.

VIEW LARGER Promotional poster for the Invisible Theatre's production of "Small Mouth Sounds."

ToReeNee Wolf in the Invisible Theatre's production of "Small Mouth Sounds."

Courtesy of Susan Claassen

Mark in the AZPM Studio with Invisible Theatre's Managing Artistic Director Susan Claassen and "Small Mouth Sounds" cast members ToReeNee Wolf and Dennis Tamblyn.

• Susan Cummins Miller is a Tucson poet who has a long history with staying at silent retreats in the Sonoran desert. She shares some of her philosophy on the idea of banking your words, and reads from her collection of poetry called “Making Silent Stones Sing.” Her latest collection of poetry is called "Deciphering the Desert."

VIEW LARGER "Making Silent Stones Sing" by Susan Cummins Miller.

courtesy Finishing Line Press

• And, meet Nate Moran, a New York mime who often works with music. Moran shares the story of how he made the unusual jump from serving in the U.S. military to becoming a silent performer, with the goal of sharing messages of joy and warmth with audiences of all ages.

VIEW LARGER Nate served in the military prior to devoting himself to the art of mime.

New York mime artist, Nate Moran in a hat sporting his motto "Never Give Up."