October 30th, 2016
Dear Community:
In the opening scene of the show, we find King Shahryar tormented by the infidelity of his first wife. To punish all the young women of his kingdom, he marries a young woman each night and then kills her. His next victim, young Scheherazade attempts to prolong her life by telling stories of love, infidelity, greed, revenge, hilarity and dreams to distract Shahryar from his murderous urges. As she leaves her home to meet her destiny, she boldly tells her weeping father to “bring me my wedding clothes, and sing me on my way.” We are then taken on a journey through Baghdad, “city of peace and poets” and throughout the Middle East as each tale comes to life before our eyes.
The Arabian Nights was first produced by the Lookingglass Theatre Company and debuted in September 1992, at Chicago Filmmakers. The Manhattan Theatre Club produced the show’s New York City premiere in 1994, at City Center Stage II. The show has continued to delight audiences in Brooklyn, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and has becoming a favorite of regional, community and high school theaters throughout the country.
The Arabian Nights is an ensemble-oriented play that has transformed the way the Wheatley Theatre Company works. Throughout this process, the actors have shown their commitment to each other by helping, supporting, and encouraging each other through each new challenge. I am immensely proud of the work that our actors have done and I consider myself incredibly fortunate to be able to work with such a creative, talented, and caring group of young actors. I would like to give a special thanks to Maura Calio, whom the WTC affectionately calls “mom.” Her inventiveness and professional dedication to the details of every costume and prop raises the quality of our shows and heightens the entertainment value of every WTC production. We have been so fortunate to work with her once again this year.
Mary Zimmerman’s play reminds us of the magical power of storytelling. New York Magazine has called her adaption of The Arabian Nights “unpretentiously poetic, fetchingly stylish, and as humane as it is elegant.” Her adaption of selections from the original Book of a Thousand Nights and One Night were skillfully chosen and affirm a shared sense of humanity that is at the heart of the larger multi-cultural collection of stories.
The theater is where we come together to illuminate our humanity, enrich our lives, and to spread joy in our communities. I hope this show provides you with a wonderful evening’s entertainment and a story that you will remember fondly for many years to come.
Sincerely,
Andrew Ardito
The Wheatley School
