THE WORDS WILL COME

June 4-28, 2026

Thursday to Saturday 7.30pm
Sunday 2.00pm

Shaking The Tree Theatre - 823 SE Grant St. Portland, OR 97214

The Words Will Come is a movement-driven theatrical experience exploring dyslexia, belonging, and the search for one’s voice. The piece follows Sheila, a young girl navigating a school system that misunderstands how she thinks and learns. Through movement, sound, projection, and fractured language, the stage transforms into the shifting interior landscape of her mind where letters scatter, words hide, and imagination reshapes the rules of language. Rather than explaining dyslexia, the work invites audiences to experience it from the inside, reframing neurodivergence as creativity, complexity, and strength.

The Story Behind The Project

The play is inspired in part by creator Melody Erfani’s own experiences navigating language and learning. More than thirty-five years later, when her niece Ella was diagnosed with dyslexia, Erfani was struck by how many of the same challenges still remain for students today, sparking a renewed urgency to develop this work. The piece has evolved through a collaborative process with performers, designers, and educators, including residencies at HB Studio in 2024 and the Alembic Residency in Portland in 2026.