Media Contacts:
Mike Horyczun, 203.254.4000, ext. 2647, mhoryczun@fairfield.edu
Michael Maio, michael.maio@student.fairfield.edu
IN APRIL: THE ARABIAN NIGHTS by Mary Zimmerman
April 24-April 28, 2013 in the Wien Black Box at the Quick Center
A sixteen-member cast enacts Scheherazade’s tales of love, lust, comedy, and dreams. Scheherazade’s cliffhanger stories prevent her husband, the cruel ruler Shahryar, from murdering her, and after 1,001 nights, Shahryar is cured of his madness. This adaptation offers a wonderful blend of the lesser-known tales from Arabian Nights with the recurring theme of how the magic of storytelling holds the power to change people. The final scene brings the audience back to a modern day Baghdad with the wail of air raid sirens threatening the rich culture and history that are embodied by these tales. Guest Director Jesse Jou says that this production will be about grace, forgiveness, and the importance of storytelling as a survival strategy in a dangerous world.
KEY TOPICS Relevant to Faculty, Students and General Audiences:
Islam and the Arabic World—The original tales, most famously translated, chosen, and compiled by Sir Richard Burton 1885-88 (although there are many other editions), were written in Arabic, reflect a Muslim community, and date from the 10th to 15th centuries C.E. This play will introduce students to that world via several centuries of western interpretations.
Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies—The tales are told by a resourceful, talented woman, Scheherazade, who is literally performing for her life. Mary Zimmerman’s script provides a contemporary feminist lens through which to view these characters and relationships.
Visual Art, Music, Poetry, Dance, Storytelling—Theatre Fairfield’s production will be a visual and aural feast steeped in traditional Islamic, Persian, and more contemporary arts.
Faith, Peace, and Justice—These Jesuit precepts are central to the play and our production will provide many opportunities to explore each of them in depth.
Fairfield University offers its students and the regional community a wide array of opportunities to enjoy the arts and enrich their lives through study, performance, appreciation, and thought. The annual Arts & Minds season of events at Fairfield provides an outstanding array of cultural and intellectual events that include the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts season, the popular Open VISIONS Forum lecture series, professional and student performances, art exhibits, special lectures, and a myriad of other lifelong learning opportunities. For further information, visit www.fairfield.edu/arts.
Travelling on I-95 North (from NYC, Stamford, and points south):
Take Exit 22. The exit takes you directly to Round Hill Road.
Turn left and keep travelling on that street.
Once you reach the corner of the campus (that is at Barlow Road and there are big signs and an athletic field on your right) go until you reach the first gate and turn right.
Make an immediate left into the first parking lot you come to and park. You will see the PepsiCo Theatre, a white building with dark roof and gray doors on your left. If there are no free parking spaces in the lot, turn around, go back to the campus road, and turn left. There are large parking lots both to your right and left.
Travelling on I-95 South (from New Haven and points north):
Take Exit 22. The exit puts you on North Benson Road.
Take a right off the exit.
Travel to the first traffic light, Barlow Road, and take a left.
Continue on Barlow until you reach Round Hill Road, which is the corner of the campus (there is a large athletic field on your right).
Take a right on Round Hill Road and go until you reach the first gate and turn right.
THEN make an immediate left into the first parking lot you come to and park. You will see the PepsiCo Theatre, a white building with dark roof and gray doors on your left. If there are no free parking spaces in the lot, turn around, go back to the campus road, and turn left. There are large parking lots both to your right and left.
If you are coming from the Merritt, it’s a bit trickier. Consult the Fairfield University website—www.fairfield.edu—for directions and a campus map.
Questions or Concerns? Please e-mail Co-Producer Marti LoMonaco at mlomonaco@fairfield.edu<mailto:mlomonaco@fairfield.edu>
We look forward to seeing you at the theatre!