Tribes follows Billy, a deaf man raised inside the fiercely idiosyncratic and unrepentantly politically incorrect cocoon of his home in his parents' house. He has adapted brilliantly to his hearing family’s unconventional ways, but they’ve never bothered to return the favor. It’s not until he meets Sylvia, a young woman on the brink of deafness, that he finally understands what it means to be understood.
What Is the Story of Tribes?
Tribes centers around a British couple and their three adult children—Daniel, Billy and Ruth, all of whom live at home. While the family engages in loud, heated and often politically incorrect debates around the dinner table, Billy, who is deaf from birth but has learned to read lips, tries desperately to catch up on the conversation. But because he can’t pick up the intricacies of the dialogue, Billy feels isolated and lonely. When he falls in love with Sylvia, a deaf woman who teaches him sign language, he learns an entirely new way to communicate his feelings, creating turmoil and confusion for his family.
"Harvard, who is deaf himself, keeps Billy at the emotional center of the play, even though Pourfar steals a number of scenes as she expresses the particular sadness of losing an ability she's always had."
Entertainment Weekly
Stephan Lee
"Once again, Cromer confirms that he’s one of our most vital, most sensitive directors."
New York Post
Elisabeth Vincentelli
"I’ve rarely encountered a cast that finds as many far-reaching shades of meaning in tones of voice as this one does. Every member of the ensemble is spot-on."
The New York Times
Ben Brantley