DAVE MALLOY’S A CAPPELLA SUPPORT-GROUP
MUSICAL ABOUT INTERNET ADDICTION

Intimate, exacting, unplugged, emotionally bracing—
an in-the-round ritual that is a communal act of listening

Dave Malloy’s Octet is a bold and quietly unsettling chamber musical that explores the anxiety, isolation, and fragile intimacy of life online. From the Tony Award–winning composer of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, the work—which opened on Sunday at Studio Theatre—channels Malloy’s musical audacity into an entirely a cappella score that is both technically exacting and emotionally raw. Structured as a contemporary support-group meeting for people struggling with internet addiction, Octet unfolds less like a conventional musical and more like a collective act of listening.

Amelia Aguilar, Chelsea Williams, Aidan Joyce and Ana Marcu

Directed with restraint and precision by David Muse, the production is staged in the round, with a deceptively simple church hall set by Debra Booth. A turntable is employed to subtle but effective effect, gently shifting perspective without disrupting the show’s intimate atmosphere. Lamps and coffee tables populate the first ring of seating, dissolving the boundary between performers and audience. The immersive conceit is further reinforced when audience members, like the characters, are asked to turn off their phones and lock them away, creating a shared experience of digital withdrawal.

Chelsea Williams, Amelia Aguilar and Ana Marcu

As its title suggests, Octet centers on eight characters. Paula facilitates the meeting, opening with a communal hymn, “The Forest,” before inviting participants to share their experiences. Chelsea Williams brings striking vulnerability to Jessica, charting her public meltdown and subsequent cancellation with emotional clarity; her repeated use of the word “refresh” becomes a haunting shorthand for the compulsive cycle of online validation and shame. Angelo Harrington II’s Henry skillfully balances humor and unease in “Candy,” as the song’s playful surface gives way to a deeper confession about his addiction to candy-themed tile-matching games and the fear that the hours he loses reflect a troubling neglect of his own well-being.

Amelia Aguilar, David Toshiro Crane (back to camera),
Chelsea Williams, Tracy Lynn Olivera, Angelo Harrington II

Tracy Lynn Olivera’s Paula anchors the ensemble, particularly in “Glow,” where she quietly details how the sallow blue light of her phone has crept into her marriage, disrupting both sleep and intimacy. The remaining ensemble—Ana Marcu (Karly), Jimmy Kieffer (Ed), Aidan Joyce (Toby), David Toshiro Crane (Marvin), and Amelia Aguilar (Velma)—each carve out distinct emotional and vocal identities, enriching the group dynamic without pulling focus. Together, they create a palpable sense of shared history, unease, and fragile connection.

The cast of OCTET

Under the musical direction of Ben Moss, Malloy’s intricate vocal architecture is delivered with remarkable precision. Dense harmonies and shifting rhythmic patterns are navigated with cohesion and clarity, particularly in moments of collective layering, where individual voices merge into a single, pulsing soundscape.

The cast of OCTET

Ashley King’s choreography is spare but purposeful, with chairs serving as expressive tools—rearranged, rotated, and repurposed to reflect shifting power dynamics, isolation, and connection within the group. These subtle physical choices deepen the storytelling without distracting from the music’s emotional weight.

The cast of OCTET

Intellectually rigorous yet emotionally grounded, Octet resists easy moralizing. The internet is not framed as a villain, but as an amplifier of human longing—exposing loneliness, shame, dependency, and the need to be seen. With minimal staging and an emphasis on proximity and presence, the production feels less like a performance than a communal ritual. It demands attention and vulnerability from its audience, but rewards that investment with a work of striking honesty and urgency—an incisive meditation on connection and disconnection in the digital age.

The cast of OCTET

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photos by Margot Schulman

Octet
Studio Theatre
Victor Shargai Theatre, 1501 14th Street NW, Washington DC
100 minutes, no intermission
ends on February 22, 2026
patrons required to lock their phones in secure pouches
for tickets, visit Studio Theatre

for more shows, visit Theatre in DC

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