Stories in Mother Tongues

by Deepak Kumar

Paati, the 79 year old matriarch of the family, spends her days waiting to die. The only bright spot left in her life is a one-woman show she puts on every night to an increasingly aging American theatre audience. But when her granddaughter, son, and daughter-in-law are corrupted by demons and threaten to destroy her play, Paati has to team up with an unlikely ally: her aimless and existentially tortured...

Paati, the 79 year old matriarch of the family, spends her days waiting to die. The only bright spot left in her life is a one-woman show she puts on every night to an increasingly aging American theatre audience. But when her granddaughter, son, and daughter-in-law are corrupted by demons and threaten to destroy her play, Paati has to team up with an unlikely ally: her aimless and existentially tortured American grandson, Giri. Will Giri and Paati defeat the demons that have taken over the family and keep the play running? Or will the show just… end? A hypertheatrical action adventure about tradition, expectation, and learning to speak in your mother tongue.

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Stories in Mother Tongues

Character Information

  • Gita
    Sick and tired of this shit. Also a rakshasi.
    Character Age
    31
  • Amma
    Immigrant mother who needs a vacation. Also a rakshasi.
    Character Age
    50s
  • Appa
    Immigrant father who can’t say how he feels. Also a raskshasa.
    Character Age
    50s
  • Patti
    Appa’s mother and omniscient storyteller of the universe. Speaks Tamil. Cannot speak English and only roughly understands it, until she can.
    Character Age
    79
  • Giri
    Aimless, which means he’s an aspiring DJ. Cannot speak Tamil and only roughly understands it.
    Character Age
    27