The Brick Theater, Inc. presents Mother Tongue, February 6th and 7th, 2012 at 8pm

Written and performed by Jillian Lauren

MOTHER TONGUE is a multi-character, autobiographical performance piece written and performed by actor and bestselling author,Jillian Lauren. Revolving around the themes of adoption, blood, tribe and identity, Mother Tongue traces Jillian Lauren’s circuitous and humorous journey to get pregnant and, when that proves unsuccessful, to adopt her son in Ethiopia.

Author and performer Jillian Lauren grew up in suburban New Jersey and fled across the water to New York City. She attended New York University for three minutes before dropping out to work in downtown theater, where she performed with Richard Foreman’sOntological Hysteric Theater, among others.

She is the author of the novel, PRETTY, and of the New York Times bestselling memoir, SOME GIRLS: My Life in a Harem, both published by Plume/Penguin. SOME GIRLS has since been translated into fourteen different languages.

She has performed at spoken word and storytelling events across the country and has been interviewed on such television programs as The View, Good Morning America and Howard Stern. She was a featured dancer with the infamous Velvet Hammer Burlesque. As a performer, she has recently worked with directors as diverse as Robert Cucuzza, Steve Balderson, Lynne Breedlove, Austin Young, Michelle Carr and Margaret Cho.

D.J. Mendel recently presented his solo piece Dick Done Broke at The Bushwick Starr, and also performed in Richard Foreman’s Permanent Brain Damage, Panic! and The Universe, Lucy Thurber’s Monstrosity, Robert Cucuzza’s The Sticky Banister, Karen Coonrod’s Christmas at the Ivanov’s and 31 Down’s Red Over Red. A longtime collaborator with HAl Hartley, D.J. has been in the films Meanwhile, Fay Grimm, The Book of Life, No Such Thing, The New Maths, The Girl From Monday and in Mr. Hartley’s theatrical debut, Soon. As a director, he works regularly with Cynthia Hopkins, Roseanne Cash, Eileen Ivers and DBR.

 Tickets: $12 in advance $15 at the door

Only at The Brick, 575 Metropolitan Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn

All tickets available at www.bricktheater.com or by calling Theatermania (212-352-3101)

 Only at The Brick