Inventor of the Klingon Language at “A Klingon Christmas Carol”

If you’re a Trekkie or a fan of Big Bang Theory, then you know that Klingon is an actual, functional language. Commedia Beauregard has taken the Dickens’ classic holiday tale “A Chrismtas Carol” and translated it into “tlhlngan Hol” – that’s Klingon in Klingonese.

This Saturday the linguist who created that language will be at the show. Dr. Marc Okrand was hired by Paramount Pictures to develop Klingon, and since then he’s written a dictionary and other books about the language and the culture. He’s even created new words specifically for the Chicago production of “A Klingon Christmas Carol“.

The cast is excited, but they’re also nervous. “Knowing Dr. Okrand will be attending the play is both thrilling and a bit nerve wracking,” confessed Director Eric Van Tassell. “I’ve met him before and know he is not likely to be overly critical of the performances these actors have worked so exceedingly hard on, but we still want to impress him with how accurate we are. We want to honor his language even as he honors us by attending our show.”

If you can’t tell SQuja’ from Bah Humbug, don’t worry; they’ve got English subtitles.

See “A Klingon Christmas Carol” Thursdays through Sundays until December 30. 

QISmaS botIvjaj ‘ej DIS chu’ botIvjaj!

(That’s Merry Christmas in Klingon.)