Linguists say that half the world’s languages will be extinct by the year 2100. So, whodunnit? A special court has been called into session to find out who’s guilty of the crime of languicide. Is it globalization? Simple goodwill? Or is it the English language itself?

WAR OF THE WORDS was the first collaboration between SquidShow and Telluride’s Mountainfilm Festival.  It premiered as part of the 2010 MountainFilm Festival and the audience was the jury. Local journalist and travel writer Reilly Capps and Sasha wrote the piece, wherein the English language was put on trial for it’s destruction of other languages. We were able to perform in the local Mason’s Hall (a venue usually off-limits to non-Masons) and the production featured defendants such as members of MTV’s The Jersey Shore and a gun-wielding French language played by local climber and outdoorsman, Timmy O’Neill. In this production, the English language was found guilty.

 

Writers: Reilly Capps & Sasha Cucciniello

Director: Sasha Cucciniello

Performers: Riley Arthur, Ehren Borg, Reilly Capps, Sasha Cucciniello, Will Evans, Ethan Hale, Dahlia Mertens, Brittany Miller, Tom Shane, Colin Sullivan, Thrax & a special guest appearance by Timmy O’Neill

Date & Space: May 29, 2010 @ The Mason’s Theater (Telluride Mountainfilm)