The Arabian Nights
a drama by Mary Zimmerman
Department of Theatre & Drama
November 19-22, 2015 • Arthur Miller Theatre
Enraged and heartbroken by the infidelity of his wife, the King of Baghdad resolves to marry a new virgin each night only to ruthlessly murder her in the morning to avoid further betrayal. After three years the kingdom’s supply of virgins runs low, prompting the King to demand the oldest daughter of his top minister as his next victim. With her life on the line, Scheherezade uses her talent as a storyteller to weave tales of intrigue, thievery, amorous affairs, and fantasy for her new husband. For a thousand and one nights, her stories come to a tantalizing cliffhanger as dawn breaks, earning her the reprieve of one more day. Filled with magic, humor, wonder and a lesson or two, Scheherezade’s tales ultimately transform and win her husband’s heart.
Tales from ancient Persian, Indian, and Arabic oral storytelling traditions have delighted listeners for centuries. In 1992, celebrated Chicago director Mary Zimmerman created The Arabian Nights from Powys Mathers’s translation of The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night for the Lookingglass Theatre Company. Choosing lesser-known stories, Zimmerman’s bold adaptation exposes the transformative power of storytelling and the universality of our humanity. The San Francisco Chronicle raved, “[The Arabian Nights] transports the audience through hilarious and poignant tales of greed, sex, and revenge, each tale opening into another and another, to a lingering, redemptive, and provocative end.”
Artistic Staff
Director: Malcolm Tulip
Scenic Designer: Vincent Mountain
Costume Designer: Camille Charara
Lighting Designer: Abbey Kojima
Sound Designers/Composers: Isaac Levine, Sophie Tulip
Assistant Director: Elle Smith
Stage Manager: Nicholas Shafer
Cast
Scheherezade: Kay Kelley
Jester and others: Amy Aaron
Greengrocer and others: Hojo Shin
Sheikh and others: Kourtney Bell
Madman and others: Kate Berg
Shahryar: Emma Jo Boyden
Wazir and others: Lila Hood
Butcher and others: Erin Croom
Sympathy the Learned and others: Meredith Starkman
Perfect Love and others: Delaney Moro
Boy and others: Annamarie Kasper
Harun al-Rashid and others: Tara Stallion
Dunyazade and others: Cayley Costello
Abu al-Hasan and others: Christian Scillian
Pastry Cook and others: Shenell McCrary
Slave Girl and others: Savanna Crosby
Musician: Sophie Tulip
Media
Program
Photos
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