In association with the School of Theatre, Penn State’s Theatre Studies B.A. Society will return to the stage with its newest production, “Mountain Language,” on April 1 at the Penn State Downtown Theater.

Written in 1988 by Harold Pinter, “Mountain Language” explores political violence and individual liberties in an unnamed country, where prisoners are forbidden from speaking their native languages.

In 1985, Pinter visited Istanbul alongside playwright Arthur Miller to raise awareness for the state sponsored torture of Kurds in Turkey. Many critics believed this trip was the inspiration for “Mountain Language,” explained Dr. Jeanmarie Higgins, one of the co-directors of the production and head of the B.A. Society, in a release.

“So in many ways, the play is about political prisoners and their loved ones, specifically in Turkey,” said Higgins. “But we need only think about precarious peoples worldwide— people fleeing Ukraine, Syrian refugees, migrants crossing Central and North American borders— to understand that ‘Mountain Language’ (unfortunately) transcends its 1980’s moment.”

“Mountain Language” will perform on April 1 and 2 at the Penn State Downtown Theater. Performances begin at 7 p.m. and run for approximately 30 minutes.

Admission is free, although tickets can be reserved online.