Note: Mother Tongue was a devised theatre piece based on Brecht's "Mother Courage and Her Children" and 35 interviews with Brazilian waste pickers. 

The world of Mother Tongue is a place where chaos and structure meet. The physical space is cluttered and dirty, in turn distressing and aging the clothing worn by our characters. We do not necessarily see the members of this co-op as dirty, but we do see the effects of time and how that appears differently on each character. The costumes of Mother Tongue is based in realism, but takes some artistic liberties, all of which are rooted in the reality of each character’s work and personal circumstances. The colors of their work uniforms are earth-toned, all made to best compliment the scenic and lighting designs. There are patches made from the unconventional materials found at the co-op, and small details highlighting aspects of each character’s personality. Their base layers, however, are where we see more color and allow us a glimpse into who these individuals are outside of their work. The overall aesthetic of Mother Tongue is not just overwhelming and aged, but militaristic and functional, made to call back to Mother Courage and the themes of war and hardship.