An original choral piece about motherhood, up close in our Needham studio.

-ARLEKIN! presents the premiere of Tell me, Mother, devised and directed by Yana Gladkikh, star of Arlekin's award-winning The Dybbuk and director of our 2025-2026 production of Beethoven. Previews begin Tuesday, November 17, opening night is Thursday, November 19, and the run continues through Sunday, December 13, 2026 at Arlekin Players Theatre, 368 Hillside Avenue, 2nd Floor, Needham.

Tell me, Mother explores motherhood as a primal, spiritual state of shared memory, joy, trauma and humor, drawing from lived experience, testimonials, and the poetry of Gabriela Mistral. Weaving together physical theater, dance and spoken word, the piece invites audiences into the deeply personal stories of mothers and watches them transform into universal realities for the actors and the audience alike.

“What fascinates me is the moment when a specific person's lived experience enters the artistic frame of the stage and becomes something larger than itself. The stage is a frame that transforms the personal into the universal.” ~ Yana Gladkikh

Performed in Russian with English supertitles by Arlekin's resident company: Julia Shikh, Polina Dubovikova, Olga Sokolova, Irina Knyazhitskaya, Olga Aronova, Rimma Gluzman, Polina Vasserman, Anna Furman, Jenya Brodskaia and Irina Vilenchik.

Choreography is by Suli Holum, award-winning director, performer, choreographer and playwright, co-founder of Pig Iron Theatre Company, and star of Woolly Mammoth's acclaimed 2024 production of My Mama and the Full-Scale Invasion. The soundscape is by Blue Man Group Boston alumni Bryce Somerville and Victor McSurely. Produced by Lisa Hackman.

Only 40 seats per performance

Previews: Tuesday, November 17 and Wednesday, November 18 at 7:30pm. General admission $30, Director's Choice VIP assigned seats $50.

Run: November 19 to 22, December 3 to 6, and December 10 to 13. Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30pm, Saturdays at 3pm and 7:30pm, Sundays at 1pm. General admission $65, Director's Choice VIP assigned seats $99.

This premiere is presented as a special fundraising project, with proceeds supporting Arlekin's mission.

Tickets are on sale now. Buy tickets or visit the show page.