The Mustard Seed Art Company is back and excited to stage its latest production, Tongue-Tied, a docudrama about the various languages dancing around us and the controversies they generate. Directed by Isabel Santa Rita Vas, the cast is all set to perform Tongue-Tied at two venues — the first show on November 28 at Nirmala Institute of Education, Altinho, Panjim, at 4 pm, and the second at Government College, Quepem, on December 12 at 3.30 pm.
“The central theme of the play is that it is futile to use languages as weapons against one another. Languages are our human wealth, and it is worthwhile spending time and resources learning them. We do not take a political stand on the languages moving around in Goa; in fact, we take a stand against such arguments, since the debate about one language being more ‘ours’ than another is quite loud around us. In a small way, we also briefly document some of the debates taking place about languages in our midst,” explains Isabel.
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The play also celebrates many Goans who have loved their languages and created wonderful works of literature and critical thought. As with much of the theatre group’s work, the play deals with themes and events that are local yet carry significance beyond their immediate setting.
This amateur theatre group has been staging English productions in Goa for over 38 years, offering audiences and actors fun, food for reflection, and an engaging encounter with the art of theatre. “We actually celebrate a number of well-known Goan writers who, over the years, have spoken, written, and published in many languages. They have often suggested ways in which differences might be bridged. They include great writers from the past as well as some who are still with us today. It is our privilege to celebrate their scholarship and their love of our many languages, often in the face of opposing public opinion. We also celebrate the increase in translations from one language into many others,” says Isabel.
The work of the Mustard Seed Art Company is often considered locally rooted yet broadly significant. Isabel elaborates, “Our themes revolve around issues and events we are deeply connected to, and so the audience resonates with them. For instance, we performed an original play titled It’s a Bebinca, Stupid! We dramatised the impact of the Covid pandemic on society — a layered impact, quite like a Bebinca that we savour. When you think about it, similar responses could be seen across the world. So yes, often our themes have universal relevance. At times, we prefer to highlight our own remarkable personalities, as in the play Anybody Home?, which focused on the great Francisco Luis Gomes — thinker, writer, doctor, and a world figure we must not forget.”
