Archive

Identifier: TONGUES2001

Inclusive Dates: 2001 - 2002

Extent:

Roundabout Theatre Company staged a U.S. premiere of Andrew Bovell's Speaking in Tongues, with first preview on October 26, 2001, opening night November 15, 2001 and closing night January 22, 2002.  

Writing for The New York Times, Bruce Weber wrote, "[w]ith its oblique persistent probe into emotions that aren't fully articulable, it is the kind of chewy writing that attracts actors and challenges designers with making the abstract palpable. And among the first-act pleasures of this Roundabout Theater [sic] production are the four mature and nuances performances...the snappy direction of the tricky verbal choreography of Mark Clements...and a set by Richard Hoover that features projections behind smoky glass, an effect of both mirrors and holograms that suggests characters who reflect each other as they look within themselves. When the lights come up for intermission, you feel as if you've been gripped in their predicament and released from it." [New York Times, November 16, 2001]

Directed by Mark Clements, with set design by Richard Hoover, costume design by Jess Goldstein, lighting design by Brian MacDevitt, original music and sound design by Scott Myers, projection design by Elaine J. McCarthy.

Karen Allen played the part of Jane/Valerie, Kevin Anderson played the part of Leon/Nick, Margaret Colin played the part of Sonja/Sarah and Michel R. Gill played the part of Pete/Neil/John. Understudy/standbys: Paul Schoeffler, Dee Pelletier.  

"The themes for Speaking in Tongues are big. It is a play about relationships and fidelity, which is really what most plays are about: people connecting, not connecting, people finding a way to speak to others, trying to find forms of communication. That's in the title, Speaking in Tongues. There is no sort of religious connection: it's just about different languages, different people trying to express themselves in different ways, trying to find a voice." [Mark Clements, Upstage Guide, November 2001]

Speaking in Tongues was first performed in 1996 at the Griffin Theatre Company at The Stables in Sydney, Australia, where it won the Australian Writers’ Guild award. The play was adapated into the film, Lantana, in 2001, starring Anthony LaPaglia. 

The play received its UK premiere at the Hampstead Theatre, in 2000, also directed by Mark Clements. The play was revived in 2009 at the Duke of York’s Theatre in the West End in a production directed by Toby Frow. 

Production records contained in one Hollinger box spanning 20 folders.  Stage documentation is present but not extensive with no prompt script, no costume renderings or other stage management files that lend insight into the artistic vision. 

Digital file includes:
PDF scan of education guide (17.1 MB)
BRoll and Audio file of interviews with Richard Hoover and Brian MacDevitt (11.9 GB)
JPG scans of playbill (70.4 MB)
PDF of select press (3.19 MB)
6 color production phographs and one black and white cast/crew photo (19.2 MB)
PDF and TIF files of show art (87.7 MB)

Oversize file includes:
3 sets of elevations and drawings, 38 pages total, for preliminary and bid purposes

Marketing files include:
2 separate marketing folders, one by season and one by show containing show art mock ups, ad placement, budgets and other details of the running of the show.

Photograph file includes:
7 color slides
1 black and white print of cast/crew 

Access Restrictions: Open and available for research by appointment, except as where noted.

Preferred Citation: Speaking in Tongues (2001), Roundabout Theatre Company Archives