Clyde P Riddlesbrood
3 weeks ago
Riddlesbrood Honored at the 11th Language Creation Conference
A Theatrical Highlight: Sherlock Holmes and the 'Power' of Babble
This year’s entertainment was something truly special. Riddlesbrood Touring Theater Company was hired to perform a fully staged, interactive dinner show titled "Sherlock Holmes and the ‘Power’ of Babble – A Murder Mystery of Deadly Secrets, Devious Codes, and Delightful Nonsense!” The production was not only a whimsical romp through mystery and mayhem but also a clever homage to the theme of the conference: the power and potential of constructed languages. Starring Clyde Riddlesbrood as Sherlock Holmes, Brian Albert in a range of hilariously suspicious roles, and Kate Brubaker as the ever-watchful Mrs. Hudson, the performance was a delightful fusion of immersive storytelling, cryptic codes, and—of course—Brooding, Riddlesbrood’s very own conlang. Audience members were swept into a mystery filled with double-meanings, coded dialogue, and linguistic sleight-of-hand, all cleverly constructed to highlight the surreal, immersive nature of language play. The show used Brooding phrases, secret clues in translation, and dramatic miscommunication to both entertain and enlighten.
Riddlesbrood and the Language Creation Society: A Long-Standing Collaboration
For Riddlesbrood, the performance was more than just another show. It marked a milestone in a creative partnership that began over a decade ago. The company's work with the LCS dates back to 2012, when Sai, the founder of the Language Creation Society, first began exploring ways to bring the art of conlanging beyond theoretical circles and into the real world of performance, storytelling, and spectacle. Since that time, Riddlesbrood has championed the use of conlangs on stage, not just as background flavor but as integral parts of plot, mood, and meaning. Their fictional language Brooding has appeared in books, songs, scripts, and live performances, providing audiences with a deepened sense of immersion and mystery. To ensure linguistic fidelity, the LCS enlisted conlanger Jamin to translate and refine Brooding materials for the performance—a collaboration that truly paid off.
The Award: A Moment of Recognition
After the final bow and the roaring applause of a delighted crowd, a surprise moment unfolded. Representatives of the Language Creation Society took to the stage to present Riddlesbrood with a Certificate of Recognition, honoring the company’s outstanding contributions to the art and application of constructed languages. The certificate, dramatically unfurled in front of the cheering audience, read:
“In honor of your outstanding contributions to the art and application of constructed languages… Your dedication serves as an inspiring example of how conlangs can thrive beyond theory—living and breathing within ritual, performance, and story.”
The honor was accepted with joyful enthusiasm by Clyde P. Riddlesbrood, surrounded by the other cast members and LCS officials. With a theatrical flair befitting the moment, Clyde held the banner high, beaming at the crowd—a moment captured in photographs that are sure to become part of the troupe’s cherished legacy. Why This Matters: Conlangs in the Real World! While conlangs have gained attention in popular media—think Elvish in The Lord of the Rings, Dothraki in Game of Thrones, or Klingon in Star Trek—their use in live theater remains a relatively rare and ambitious endeavor. Riddlesbrood’s approach treats language as more than dialogue—it’s a character, a force, a puzzle to be solved and experienced. The inclusion of Brooding in their performances represents a philosophical commitment to storytelling through multiple layers: visual, emotional, and linguistic. In doing so, Riddlesbrood is helping expand the practical application of conlangs, showing how these constructed systems can evoke emotions, drive plots, and bridge audience participation in totally unique ways. The Road to LCC11: How the Show Came to Be
According to the LCS organizers, choosing Riddlesbrood was not a last-minute decision. In their own words: "I’m delighted to say that we have officially decided to hire you. Formally: the LCS agrees to pay and feature you—Riddlesbrood, Brooding (Riddlesbrood’s Conlang), and Jamin (the conlanger who was hired to translate the Brooding texts)—in our first newsletter, if you will perform a dinner show for LCC11 focusing on conlanging or conlangs."
From that moment, the wheels of creative collaboration began to turn. New Brooding phrases were developed. Scripts were carefully translated and tested. Rehearsals integrated both traditional blocking and linguistic pacing. And on the evening of April 12th, it all came together in a stunning fusion of academia and absurdity. Audience Reaction and Community Impact! Attendees, many of whom were veteran conlangers and linguistics experts, were treated to a form of expression rarely seen in academic circles: living language through performance. Many commented afterward on how refreshing it was to see theoretical constructs transformed into engaging, interactive theater.
“It was the first time I’ve ever seen a conlang I didn’t create actually used live, in context, in a way that made me laugh out loud,” said one attendee. Others noted the value of seeing language applied in ways that challenged assumptions about fluency, communication, and even meaning itself.
Looking Forward
The Language Creation Society’s decision to bring theater into its conference programming could well mark a new era of cross-disciplinary collaboration. Riddlesbrood, now formally recognized for their work, hopes this will inspire other creative organizations to embrace conlangs—not just as novelties, but as vital, living tools for storytelling. For Riddlesbrood, the award is a symbol of their broader mission: to enchant, to provoke, and to elevate the ordinary into the extraordinary. Whether through mystery, madness, or language, they continue to invite audiences into worlds that are richer, stranger, and more magical than the one they left behind. As Clyde himself put it after the show: “To be recognized for something as wonderfully weird as using a made-up language on stage? That’s the kind of thing that makes all the late nights, the rewrites, and the linguistic rabbit holes worth it.”
With this honor behind them and more performances on the horizon, Riddlesbrood remains committed to the journey—a journey through words, wonder, and the powerful babble of human imagination.
