Alumni-written production of In Tongues premieres at University of Lethbridge Theatre

The Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Lethbridge is continuing its 2024/25 Signature Events and Performance Series with the world premiere of In Tongues, a Mainstage performance with alumni talent present throughout.

In Tongues is written by award-winning playwright and alumnus James Odin Wade (BFA – Multidisciplinary ’11), a recent recipient of the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta's Emerging Artist Award.

A gripping drama with an element of mystery, In Tongues is centred around true-crime author Cara, who dies alone in her B.C. cabin while investigating a notorious killer. Cara’s husband and sister are then left to uncover hidden truths about her, the case and themselves.

"In Tongues came about in a transitional time in my life," says James. He was preparing to move to the United States when the opportunity to develop In Tongues with the students of a New Play Workshop at ULethbridge came along. Dealing with the loss of a close friend, his play quickly became a mix of ideas on grief, love and the terror of facing change.

The play had its first public reading in April 2018. Following successive workshops with Steel River Pennsylvania in 2019, In Tongues was slated to debut on the ULethbridge Mainstage in March 2020, but was subsequently canceled due to the pandemic.

Alumna Anastasia Siceac (BFA - Dramatic Arts ‘ 20) was tapped to direct this year’s production In Tongues, and fondly remembers her excitement for the show.

“I was very lucky to be invited to step into the role of the director of this production. It was a pleasant surprise and it's very exciting because I was a student, here at ULethbridge when this production was supposed to happen for the first time in March 2020. It's really nice to be coming back and working on it.”

Anastasia adds that watching students work on the production reminds her of her young self, bringing back memories of her time as a student in Europe and at ULethbridge.

“Even now, if you ask me how I felt that first day coming in here, I was worried and anxious just as when I was a student, wondering how this new school is going to treat me. Working as a sessional instructor and directing one of the Mainstages, it's just such a wonderful experience.”

As opening night nears for In Tongues, Anastasia says she’s most excited to sit in the audience and watch others watch the production, particularly due to the show’s unique setup. The set design features a two-level cabin with close audience seating, allowing viewers to place themselves within the set, exploring the show’s intricate dynamics through an intimate telling of resolving grief and solving crime.

In a society obsessed with true crime media, James explores our desire for answers in circumstances that often don't provide them.

"I’m always trying to fit my life into a legible story and when things change abruptly, I often find myself asking, 'why'," says James. "What happens when you need answers in order to move on, but those answers are absent? What if you can't handle the answers you’re looking for?"

"During the writing of this play a friend said, 'knowing why is for chumps.' It turned out to be good advice. Some of the characters in this play might be chumps but try to not to judge them too harshly," he says.

In Tongues runs from November 4-8 in the University Theatre, with showings nightly at 7:30 p.m. For this production, a special Alumni Appreciation Night will be held on November 6 for Fine Arts alumni, featuring a Q&A session with James about the play and its development. Tickets for In Tongues and the Alumni Appreciation Night can be purchased at go.uleth.ca/tickets.