Pe limba ta - piesa de teatru
In Your Own Language – The Play

Author(s): Mihaela Michailov
Subject(s): Theatre, Dance, Performing Arts, Literary Texts, Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Drama
Published by: Asociatia Culturala REPLIKA
Keywords: Deaf theatre; Romanian Sign Language (LSR); Bilingual performance; Educational inequality; Representation; Oralism vs. sign language; Self-advocacy; Integrated theatre; Autobiographical performance; Inclusive education
Summary/Abstract: This chapter presents the full script of Pe limba ta, a bilingual theatre production that combines Romanian spoken language and Romanian Sign Language (LSR) to explore the lived experiences of Deaf and hard-of-hearing young people in Romania. The play interweaves autobiographical fragments, historical reconstruction, and fictional scenes centered on a Deaf girl, Irina, whose struggle for self-expression unfolds between family pressure, restrictive school policies, and the systemic marginalization of sign language. Through the dynamic presence of the “Imaginary Friend,” the script stages an inner dialogue between silence and voice, gesture and sound, imagination and reality. Historical episodes—such as the 1921 inauguration of a school for Deaf girls and the impact of the 1880 Milan Conference—are placed in dialogue with present-day educational inequalities, highlighting the persistence of oralist ideologies. The final scene opens toward a collective vision of an accessible and dignified future, advocating for LSR-based education, adapted examinations, and structural reform. The play functions both as artistic work and as a political statement about representation, inclusion, and the right to one’s own language.

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