2025: Arabian Nights
North’s 2025 spring production will be Tony Award-winning playwright Mary Zimmerman’s ARABIAN NIGHTS. Zimmerman’s acclaimed adaptation of this classic of world literature weaves ancient tales of wonder into a rich and poetic testament to the transformational power of storytelling. King Shahryar marries, loves, then kills a young woman each night—until he encounters Scheherezade. For one thousand and one nights, he delays her execution as he eagerly awaits her next tale of love, hilarity, or sorrow. Wonderfully visual and theatrical in its approach, Zimmerman’s work features many of the lesser known tales from the ARABIAN NIGHTS, both comic and serious. Authentic Arabic music as well as Middle Eastern dance and movement help to create the rich cultural backdrop of ancient Baghdad. The play reminds us of the connection between the ancient world of the NIGHTS and our own– offering the hope that is inherent in the stories we create together. North theatre director Ron Parker stated, “This is such an amazing piece—a collection of stories that are at moments hilariously funny and at others intensely touching—just like the original 1001 Tales from which they come. It really is a theatrical banquet for the eyes and ears!” North’s production will feature audience members seated directly upon the stage in a “studio environment” to make them part of the action and storytelling. The New York Times called Zimmerman’s adaptation, “A storybook world come to life. . .The Arabian Nights is a celebration of the salutary powers of storytelling. . .of the rich, inexhaustible multiplicity of a narrative tradition.” USA Today said, "There's a saying that nobody can read the entire Arabian Nights without dying of pleasure. In Zimmerman's production, that seems a possibility.”
Performance times are: May 1st, 2nd, and 3rd at 7:00 p.m. and May 3rd and 4th at 1:00 p.m. General admission is $10.00. Tickets are available at the door one hour before each performance. Seating is limited to 120 per performance. ARABIAN NIGHTS contains mildly mature content. Further information can be found on the North theatre website www.appletonnorththeatre.org or by contacting Ron Parker, director at parkerronaldc@aasd.k12.wi.us.
