1,001 reasons to see this show
Derek Campbell
Issue date: 2/9/09 Section: Culture
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Little did they know, the setting was more than finished - it was transformed.
The show is based on the book "The Arabian Nights" which dates back to the traditions of oral storytelling, meaning the stories held within the book (and, incidentally, the play) are untraceable and well over a 1,000 years old.
Likened to such epic stories as Homer's "Odyssey" from Ancient Greece, "The Arabian Nights" accounts the tale of Scheherazade, the daughter of a Middle Eastern vizier, who must marry and then be murdered by the evil King Shahryar.
To delay the atrocity, Scheherazade begins telling the king stories to keep him distracted from killing her.
The opening scene of this Mary Zimmerman play started with a rhythmic drum duet that escalated into a celebration performed by all the actors, who served as the architects for the set of the play, unrolling carpets and throwing pillows around the stage. This one scene set the magical precedent for the entire play.
From the beginning, the energy the actors presented and the emotion-evoking music engaged the audience and had them guessing what would come next.
An eclectic mix of over 30 instruments from cow bells to a stringed instrument called an oud, the music effectively reflected the customs and traditional sounds of the Middle Eastern world.
Along with traditional music, Middle Eastern dance customs were also successfully represented. An homage to the art of belly dancing, the most widely known Middle Eastern dance technique, helped familiarize and connect the audience with the culture in the show.
Overall the acting was high quality, however at times some cast members did not seem to embody the ideals and cultures they were representing. Of note was Sofia Jean Gomez who played the predominant character Scheherazade. Although Gomez seems to be a talented actress, she just didn't mesh well with this character.
Often she made it hard to believe she was a woman in threat of being killed each and every day and seemed more anxious than frightened.
Perhaps the greatest achievement of this show is the overall fluidity of the story and the cohesiveness of the group.
Carefully crafted stage movements left little space for error and the cast handled these difficult intricacies with seamless and observably flawless effort.
Visually this play hits high marks in all aspects - from the carpets and pillows to the wonderful costuming, the variety in colors and dressing styles was accurately thought out and well executed.
The placement of different types of dimly lit lamps above the audiences heads also added a powerful element, pulling the audience right into the story.
Seeing this play is definitely appealing for a stimulation of the senses. This talented cast and crew have put together a very high quality show worth the time of the Kansas City community. The play did hit a few random points that seemed somewhat out of place but did not distract from the meaning of the show.
I would suggest limiting the age of the audience members - high school students may be able to handle some of the more mature content of the play, but there are strong messages and some subtle innuendos that may not be appropriate for children of a certain age.
If you would like to see "The Arabian Nights," it will be showing at Spencer Theatre on the UMKC campus until Feb. 22.
Tickets are available at a discounted rate for students and may be purchased at www.kcrep.org or by calling the box office at (816) 235-2700.
dcampbell@unews.com
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