Eight people meet in a church basement and lock their phones in a box. This a cappella chamber musical from Dave Malloy (Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812) follows an octet of people struggling with digital dependency, charting their compulsions using only the analog vibrancy of their own voices. Witty, dissonant, and lush by turns, Malloy’s score plumbs the darkest corners of the internet alongside these characters’ yearning for connection. Staged in the round in the Victor Shargai theatre, Octet asks how—in the face of the many ways to escape into our screens—we can choose to be present with each other.
Runtime: 100 minutes with no intermission.
Read the program.
Please note late seating will be determined at the discretion of House Management.
Due to limited space in the theatre large bags and bulky coats will not be allowed inside the theatre. These can be stored in our coat check located right next to the Victor Shargai Theatre. Our coat check will be locked during the performance.
In the interest of welcoming people with a wide range of needs and life experiences, Studio offers a bit of information on what you will encounter in the play. Use this information as it is helpful to you.
Environmental Warnings: This production of Octet contains the use of theatrical haze.
Octet is generously underwritten by Sari Hornstein, Craig Pascal, and Mark Epstein and Amoretta Hoeber.
Dave Malloy is a New York-based award-winning composer, writer, performer, and orchestrator. He has written music for 18 musicals, including Three Houses; Roald Dahl’s The Witches; Moby-Dick; Octet; Preludes; Ghost Quartet; Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (12 Tony nominations; six Olivier nominations); Little Bunny Foo Foo; Black Wizard / Blue Wizard; All Hands; Three Pianos; Beardo; Beowulf: A Thousand Years of Baggage; The Sewers; Sandwich; Clown Bible; and (The 99-cent) Miss Saigon. His accolades include three OBIEs, a Smithsonian Ingenuity Award, a Drama Desk Award, a Lucille Lortel Award, the Richard Rodgers Award, an ASCAP New Horizons Award, and a Jonathan Larson Grant. Upcoming: Black Swan at American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) from May 26, 2026, through June 28, 2026.. davemalloy.com
David Muse is in his sixteenth season as Artistic Director of Studio Theatre where he has directed Downstate; Love, Love, Love; Fun Home; People, Places & Things; Cock (the in-person and digital productions); The Children; The Remains; The Effect; The Father; Constellations; Chimerica; Murder Ballad; Belleville; Tribes; The Real Thing; An Iliad; Dirt; Bachelorette; The Habit of Art; Venus in Fur; Circle Mirror Transformation; reasons to be pretty; Blackbird; Frozen; and The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow. As Studio's Artistic Director he has overseen over 125 productions; established Studio R&D, a new work incubator that has commissioned over 40 artists; created The Cabinet, Studio's artist advisory body; and envisioned and oversaw Open Studio, a $20 million expansion and upgrade of Studio's four-theatre complex. Previously, he was Associate Artistic Director of the Shakespeare Theatre Company, where he has directed nine productions, including Richard III, Henry V, Coriolanus, and King Charles III (a co-production with American Conservatory Theater and Seattle Rep). Other directing projects include Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune at Arena Stage, The Bluest Eye at Theatre Alliance, and Patrick Page's Swansong at the New York Summer Play Festival. He has helped to develop new work at numerous theatres, including New York Theatre Workshop, Geva Theatre Center, Arena Stage, New Dramatists, and The Kennedy Center. David has taught acting and directing at Georgetown, Yale, and the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Academy of Classical Acting. Productions he has directed have received 58 Helen Hayes Award nominations, including 9 for Outstanding Direction, and he is a DC Mayor's Arts Award recipient. David is a graduate of Yale University and the Yale School of Drama.
Chelsea Williams is an actor and voiceover artist based in Brooklyn, NY. Her Broadway/national tours include In Transit, Mamma Mia!, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. Select theatre credits include Waitress: The Musical at Ogunquit Playhouse, Life After at Goodman Theatre, Grease at Maine State Music Theatre, and Mamma Mia! at Casa Mañana. She recently appeared on Elsbeth (CBS) and can be heard in various national commercials and video games. She holds a BFA from Emerson College. On social media @chelseawillyums (Instagram).
Angelo Harrington II is a triple-threat performer making his Studio Theatre debut. His theatre credits include Red Pitch, Senior Class, and Frozen at Olney Theatre Center; Sister Act at Summer Rep Theatre Festival; Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and The Scottsboro Boys at ArtsCentric; and A Chorus Line at Toby’s Dinner Theatre. On social media @angeloharringtonii (Instagram).
Tracy Lynn Olivera returns to Studio after appearing in 2013 production of Bachelorette. She performed on Broadway in the 2009 revival of Ragtime. Her regional credits include Candide at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. She has performed in the DMV area at Signature Theatre, Arena Stage, Ford’s Theatre, the Kennedy Center, Olney Theatre Center, Round House Theatre, and many other local area venues. She is a two-time Helen Hayes Award Winner (for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical), and a 12-time nominee. She has sung in concert at Signature Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Black Rock Center for the Performing Arts, as well as venues in Chicago, Sarasota, and Rehoboth Beach. Tracy is an adjunct professor at both Catholic University and American University. Her debut album, Because, is available on iTunes and Spotify.
Ana Marcu is an actor, singer, musician, and owner of Ivory Voice and Piano in Brooklyn, NY. Her Off Broadway credits include Georama at Playwrights Horizons and 90210! The Musical! at Theatre 80. Her regional credits include Sunny Afternoon at Chicago Shakespeare Theater; Once at Syracuse Stage and California Center for the Arts, Escondido Theatricals; Jersey Boys at Theatre Aspen; Million Dollar Quartet and The Old Man and the Old Moon at South Coast Repertory; Almost Heaven at Weston Theater Company; Man of La Mancha at Arizona Theatre Company; As You Like It at Great River Shakespeare Festival; and A Christmas Carol at Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Touring credits include Disney on Classic in Japan. Ana was in the feature film My Hero. She received a BFA from Syracuse University. On social media @a_marcu. anamarcu.com.
Jimmy Kieffer is an actor based in New York. His Off Broadway credits include Peter and the Starcatcher at New World Stages, A Christmas Carol at Canal Park Playhouse, and Scapin at Theatre Row. Regionally, he has performed in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Guthrie Theater and Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The History Plays at the Guthrie Theater, Cyrano de Bergerac at Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Candide at Alliance Theatre, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Pittsburgh Public Theater, The 39 Steps at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and Victor/Victoria at Theatre Under The Stars. On television, he appeared on Law & Order (NBC) and Criminal Minds (CBS). Film credits include Ocean’s Eight and Ricki and the Flash. He holds an MFA in Acting from the Professional Actor Training Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. On social media @thejimmykieffer (Instagram). jimmykieffer.com
Aidan Joyce is a New York-based theatre artist and Mets fan originally from Montclair, NJ, making his Studio Theatre debut in Octet. He recently appeared in the world premiere of A Wrinkle in Time at Arena Stage. Other credits include Heather Christian’s None: A Practical Breviary at New York Stage and Film, Rent at Southern Plains Productions, and Spring Awakening at Monumental Theatre Company, which earned him a Helen Hayes Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical. He holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Shenandoah University. On social media @aidanjoyyce (Instagram).
David Toshiro Crane is a New York–based actor, director, and teacher originally from Berkeley, California. His regional credits include the Los Angeles revival of Reefer Madness at The Whitley Theatre; Emma at Kansas City Repertory Theatre; The Prince of Egypt, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, and Tuck Everlasting at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley; Guys and Dolls at San Francisco Playhouse; The Glass Menagerie at Sacramento Theatre Company; Vietgone and Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley at Capital Stage; Noises Off at Hillbarn Theatre; 110 in the Shade at Actors Co-op Theatre Company; Indoor Person at Normal Ave; and Dave Malloy’s Don’t Stop Me and Next to Normal at Korsa Musical Theater. David’s on-camera work includes numerous BuzzFeed sketches viewed by millions worldwide. He is a graduate of UCLA’s School of Theatre, Film and Television. On social media @craviddane (Instagram). davidtcrane.com.
Amelia Aguilar is a performer and music director whose performance credits include Superstar: A Concert, Rent, Into the Woods, and Seussical at Texas State University. Her musical director credits include Superstar: A Concert and Sister Act at Texas State University. Her television and film credits include background vocals for the Josh Groban Holiday Special and the Grammy Awards 2020. Aguilar holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Texas State University and received additional training at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. On social media @ameliaaguilarr (Instagram).
Ava Wilson is an actor originally from Youngstown, Ohio who is making her Studio Theatre debut. Her recent theatre credits include Hello, Dolly! at Olney Theatre Center and Head Over Heels at Constellation Theatre Company (u/s Mopsa, u/s Ensemble). She holds a B.A. in Musical Theatre from American University. On social media at @ava.wils (Instagram). avakwilson.com.
Sam Rodd is an actor and singer making his Studio Theatre debut. Sam’s theatre credits include Babbit at Shakespeare Theatre Company, and King John and Taming of the Shrew at STC Academy. He has appeared on television and film in The Amazing Spiderman 2, GIRLS (HBO), Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix), Mozart in the Jungle (Amazon Prime), and Billions (Showtime). He is a candidate of the Academy for Classical Acting at Shakespeare Theatre Company’s MFA program, and he holds a BFA in Musical Theater from Western Carolina University. On social media at @SamR0dd (Instagram). samrodd.com.
Sydne Lyons is making her Studio Theatre debut. Based in DC, Sydne is a Helen Hayes award winning actor. Her theatre credits include Lizzie the Musical at Keegan Theatre, Escape to Margaritaville at Theatre Silco, Proof at Compass Rose, and American Psycho the Musical at Monumental Theatre Company. She holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from AMDA College of the Performing Arts. On social media at @sydne_lyons (Instagram). sydnelyons.com.
Anthony De Souza is an actor and director making their Studio Theatre debut. Select DMV credits include The Inheritance at Round House Theatre, Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, and Green Machine at the Capital Fringe Festival. Previous workshops/readings include Walter Mercado presents: a queer Puerto Rican (not just) Christmxs Spectacular! at Avant Bard Theatre, and House of Desires at We Happy Few. Anthony’s directing credits include Ride the Cyclone and Ordinary Days at CenterStage Theatre Company (Catholic University). Anthony holds a B.M. in Musical Theatre from Catholic University of America. anthonydesouzaactor.com.
Ben Moss is an award-winning music director, performer, songwriter, and orchestrator. New York credits include Oratorio for Living Things at Ars Nova and Signature Theatre Company (NYC) (Obie Award and Lucille Lortel Award), The Hello Girls at Prospect Theater and Syracuse Stage, Heather Christian’s PRIME : A Practical Breviary released by Playwright’s Horizons “Soundstage,” Arlington at the Vineyard Theatre, and Alexandra Silber’s After Anatevka at Audible’s Minetta Lane Theatre. DC credits include A Wrinkle in Time at Arena Stage, Penelope at Signature Theatre (Helen Hayes nomination), and appearances at The Kennedy Center. Regional credits include Salty Brine’s Bigmouth Strikes Again at Soho Theatre, UK, and Azul at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. He is the music director of the Broadway Sings concert series. He is a graduate of Harvard University. benkmoss.com
Debra Booth has a long history with Studio, where she has designed Fun Home; People, Places & Things; Pass Over; Translations; The Wolves; The Father; The Hard Problem; Privates on Parade; The Apple Family Cycle; Jumpers for Goalposts; Cock; Bachelorette; and others. Regional work includes Sooner/Later and Blood Knot at Mosaic Theater Company, Richard III (Helen Hayes nomination), The Lover and The Collection at the Shakespeare Theatre Company, Marisol at Hartford Stage and The Public Theater, the New York premiere of Angels in America at The Juilliard School, Broken Glass at Philadelphia Theatre Company (Barrymore Award nomination), and A Moon for the Misbegotten at Yale Repertory Theatre. Debra received the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Artist Fellowship and a NEA design grant. She is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama.
Moyenda has worked at Studio Theatre previously on The Scenarios, The Colored Museum, Good Bones, and John Proctor is the Villain. Regionally, she has worked on Where the Mountain Meets the Sea, and Birthday Candles at Cincinnati Playhouse; Akeelah and the Bee, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, and Tiny Beautiful Things at Baltimore Center Stage; Selling Kabul, Daphne’s Dive, and Detroit ’67 at Signature Theatre; Jump at Everyman Theatre; Radio Golf at Round House Theatre; and Nancy, Confederates, Bars and Measures, and In His Hands at Mosaic Theater Company, among others. Moyenda received her B.A. from the University of Maryland and is a member of United Scenic Artists, Local 829, IATSE.
Mary Louise Geiger is a lighting designer for theatre, dance, and opera. At Studio, she designed At the Wedding, Chimerica, Invisible Man (Helen Hayes award), and Time Stands Still. On Broadway, she designed The Constant Wife for Roundabout Theatre Company. Her upcoming Off Broadway credits include Midwest Porn for the Tent Theatre Company and Zack for the Mint Theatre Company. Regionally, her work includes Rope and All My Sons for Hartford Stage, Last Night and the Night Before at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill for Syracuse Stage. Recent dance work includes Christopher Wheeldon’s ballet From You Within Me for New York City Ballet and a revival of The Sleeping Beauty for the Royal Danish Ballet. She trained at the Yale School of Drama and teaches at NYU. mlgeiger.com.
Michelle Marie Lynch is a dramaturg, playwright, producer, and director. Her dramaturgy credits include Night Garden at The Kennedy Center, tempered at 4615 Theatre, Q-Fest and Jingle in July at Adventure Theatre MTC, and North Wind at Rapid Lemon Productions. Her commissioned plays include From Cinders to Ella and Willow’s Bend at Adventure Theatre MTC. In recent years, Michelle has worked as the Artistic and Literary Associate for Folger Theatre, as a script reader for Studio Theatre, and as a Dramaturgy Career Mentor for Theatre Washington. In 2026, Michelle will be the Assistant Director for Much Ado About Nothing at Faction of Fools. On social media @michellemarieici. michellemarielynch. squarespace.com.
Nick Kourtides designs for musical theatre and creates sound environments for devised ensemble works. He is the global sound designer for Magic Mike Live. Previously at Studio he designed and composed If I Forget and designed The Object Lesson. Off Broadway credits include Oratorio for Living Things at Ars Nova and Signature Theatre Company, Macbeth in Stride at BAM, Three Houses at Signature Theatre Company, The Keep Going Songs at LCT3,Travels and The Lucky One at Ars Nova, Terce: A Practical Breviary at the Protoype Festival, Black Light at Greenwich House, The Object Lesson at NYTW and BAM, Elephant Room at St. Ann’s Warehouse, Carson McCullers Talks About Love at Rattlestick Theater, and Jomama Jones: Radiate at Soho Rep. He has designed at dozens regional theatres nationally. Nick has taught Sound Design for Live Performance at Drexel University and Swarthmore College. He has received Obie, Lucille Lortel, Bessie, and Barrymore awards.
John Keith Hall's Previous Studio credits include Wipeout; Downstate; Summer, 1976; Exception to the Rule; The Colored Museum; At the Wedding; Espejos: Clean; Fun Home; Bad Jews; Choir Boy; Water by the Spoonful; Tribes; Torch Song Trilogy; 4000 Miles; In the Red and Brown Water; The History Boys; and The Road to Mecca. Other DC area credits include productions at Theater J, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Olney Theatre Center, Signature Theatre, and The Kennedy Center. His regional credits include more than 40 productions as Resident Stage Manager at the Barter Theatre as well as Shadowlands Stage, Virginia Musical Theatre, and Contemporary American Theatre Festival.
Ashleigh King is a DC-born actor, director, choreographer, and four-time Helen Hayes award winner. She returns to Studio Theatre after previous work on Fun Home and Problems Between Sisters. Her DC-area credits include Which Way to the Stage, Ragtime, Hair, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Signature Theatre; Merry Wives at Shakespeare Theatre Company; Little Shop of Horrors at Ford’s Theatre; The Sensational Sea Mink-ettes, Teenage Dick, and Fairview at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company; Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at Olney Theatre Center; Legally Blonde and Seussical at The Keegan Theatre; Junie B. Jones, the Musical and She Persisted at Adventure Theatre MTC; and A Year with Frog and Toad at Imagination Stage. Her regional credits include Waitress, ’Bov Water, Spring Awakening, and Spamalot at Northern Stage; Donna: The Donna Summer Musical at Red Mountain Theatre; and Mamma Mia! at Virginia Repertory Theatre.
Katja Zarolinski, CSA is thrilled to be casting for another production for Studio Theatre. Katja is a New York-based casting director handling productions for theater, film and television. Previous casting work includes Broadway, off Broadway and regional productions at Alley Theatre, Arena Stage, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage, Barrington Stage Company, Berkshire Playwrights Lab, Cape Playhouse, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, City Theatre Company, Connecticut Repertory Theatre, Contemporary American Theater Festival, Crossroads Theatre Company, Everyman Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Goodspeed Musicals, Guthrie Theater, Irish Repertory Theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Mosaic Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Pittsburgh CLO, PlayMakers Repertory Company, Pittsburgh Public Theater, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Seattle Rep, Shakespeare & Company, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Signature Theatre (DC), South Coast Repertory, TheaterWorks Hartford, Virginia Stage Company, Virginia Theatre Festival, Weston Theater Company and many more.
From 8 to Infinity
Infinite as the Internet: Inspirations Behind Octet
Misadventures as Method: Dave Malloy’s Musical Journey
A Note from the Dramaturg