First Generation Performs “Mother Tongue”
Friday, April 7, 2023 at 7:30pm
Shea Theater Arts Center, 71 Avenue A, Turners Falls
Tickets are sliding scale $15-$25. No one will be turned away
Appropriate for ages 13+
Developed by members of First Generation, an inter-generational arts and youth leadership organization based in Springfield, MA, “Mother Tongue” is inspired by family stories and events from Congo/Tanzania, Bhutan/Nepal, South Sudan, Holyoke, and Springfield. The performance incorporates movement, music, dance, and weaves together stories in Arabic, Swahili, Nepali, and English. Themes addressed in this 90-minute original work include culture, identity, diaspora, masculinity, xenophobia, racism and revolution, among others.
The First Generation ensemble is composed of seven youth artists: Entsar “Star” Abdelrahman, Montaser Yagoub, Abdelrahman, Charlette Sostre Garcia, Monisha Gurung, Julita Hasani, Moise Jakobo, and Iliana “Lali” Quiles-Torres. “Mother Tongue” is co-directed by Iyawna Burnett, Lesley Farlow, and Julie Lichtenberg. Lighting by Brenda Cortina. Costume Design by Chloe Estrella Soto. Sound Design by Tony Silva. Original music by I-SHEA Shaikly.
This performance of Mother Tongue is brought to the Shea Theater with the support of the Mass Cultural Council Local Cultural Councils of Montague and Gill, and RiverCulture, Transhealth, Mass Humanities and the Scarlet Sock Foundation.
More Info at www.performanceproject.org