Pygmalion Productions
The Big Quiet
By Morag Shepherd
Two missionaries in 2005 San Diego confront faith, friendship, and inner conflict within the confines of their shared apartment.
Directed by Tamara Howell
Pygmalion Productions
presents
The Big Quiet
By Morag Shepherd
February 22 – March 9, 2025
THE SYNOPSIS
Sister Garcia and sister Roberts are companions in San Diego, California in 2005. The entire play takes place in their missionary apartment, where we see their relationship evolve, devolve, and erupt as they wrestle with the confines of the rules, and determine their relationship with food, fasting, and God.
THE CHARACTERS
SISTER GARCIA (MARY) – early twenties – has been on her mission for three months and has found abnormal success. People flock to her because she is effortlessly cool and doesn’t ever try too hard. Garcia is impulsive and doesn’t spend any time thinking about the significance of an action before it happens. Things come easily, they go easily, and she doesn’t let it sit heavy. She says shocking things very matter of fact. Played by Juls Marino
SISTER ROBERTS (KENZIE) – early twenties, is as fresh as a daisy. She cares about doing what she is supposed to do and is struggling to get a baptism. She has been on her mission for over a year and is obsessive and desperate about rules, writing things down, and the letter of the law. Roberts is completely and utterly fascinated with sister Garcia and hangs on her every word. Played by Lily Hilden
Artist Bios
The Big Quiet CAST
- Juls Marino – Sister Garcia (Mary)
- Lily Hilden – Sister Roberts (Kenzie)
Creative Staff
- Tamara Howell – Director
- Morag Shepherd– Playwright
Cast
Juls Marino
A dedicated theater artist from Salt Lake City.
Lily Hilden
A dedicated theater artist with a focus on learning across multiple disciplines, I’m currently pursuing a BA in Acting/Directing and an Associate’s in Technical Theatre at Weber State University. I have hands-on experience in scenic carpentry, painting, and design, and for the past four months, I’ve been an assistant carpenter in our university’s scenic shop, continually building my skills.
Creative Staff
Morag Shepherd
Morag Shepherd is the artistic director of Immigrant’s Daughter Theatre and is a member of the Plan-B writers lab, where her play MY BROTHER WAS A VAMPIRE, and NOT ONE DROP (David Ross Fetzer grant recipient) has performed. Her play WORSHIP recently performed with the Utah Arts Alliance (The Utah Review top moment of 2023), and her play DO YOU WANT TO SEE ME NAKED (Critics Choice Award, and Best Solo Performance) has performed in Salt Lake City, Tucson, and The United Solo Festival in New York City. Her site-specific play, CHERRY WINE IN PAPER CUPS performed outside the Salt Lake City library summer 2020, and her immersive play, A BRIEF WALTZ IN A LITTLE ROOM performed throughout 2019 in Salt Lake City. Recent directing credits include MOUNTAIN MEADOWS by Debora Threedy, THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE by Martin McDonagh, MELANCHOLY PLAY by Sarah Ruhl, BODY AWARENESS by Annie Baker, and LET THE RIGHT ONE IN by Jack Thorne.
Tamara Johnson Howell
Tamara has worked PYGmalion many times, most recently in Julie Jensen’s MOTHER MOTHER as the indomitable Bella Abzug in BELLA BELLA Other recent work has included SWEENEY TODD at the Grand Theatre, and FOUR WOMEN TALKING ABOUT THE MAN UNDER THE SHEET at Salt Lake Acting Company. During the Covid shutdown, she was in Plan B’s radio play P.G. ANON by Julie Jensen. Other recent roles include Modesto/Floating/Jenya in WAIT!, Mary Todd Lincoln in MARY AND MYRA, Chris Remington in REMINGTON AND WEA¬SEL, Mrs. Brooks in MOCKINGBIRD (Pygmalion), Abuela Claudia in In THE HEIGHTS (Good Company), Emperor Saturninus in TITUS ANDRONICUS (Pinnacle) and Bashira in TWO STORIES (SLAC). Tamara earned her BFA in Theatre from the University of Utah and is currently pursuing her Masters. She is a junior-high school theatre teacher.