TONGUES
Scenic design
JACK (part of Exponential Festival)
& University Settlements
& various community centers
Tongues is a gathering, an event, and an interactive documentary theatre piece bringing together personal stories, reenactments, karaoke, games, and shared rituals in a celebration of mother tongues.
Red plastic chairs, shimmering streamers, paper lanterns, and circular rugs and tables transform the entire theatre into a playful, immersive gathering space that celebrates the everyday joys of diasporic communities. I drew inspiration from the Chinese word 团圆 (reunion and togetherness), whose final character, 圆, means “round.” Four intimate circles of performers and audience members eventually merge into one, giving physical form to the idea of coming together.
Conceived to travel between community spaces, the set is portable and requires minimal setup.
Directed by: Yibin Wang
Dramaturgy: Yejia Sun
Producer: Ruby Wang
Set Design: Joyce He
Lighting Design: Kristen Paige
Media Designer/
Associate
Director: Qixin Zhang
Ensemble: Andy Law, Michi Zaya,
Mia Zhu, OmRaj Raut
Developed with: Andy Law, Michi Zaya, Mia Zhu, OmRaj Raut,
and Lingyi Wang
JACK PRODUCTION:
UNIVERSITY SETTLEMENT PRODUCTION: