Mundelein Theatre production of 'The Arabian Nights' shares magic of storytelling
Submitted by Mundelein High School District 120
Mundelein Theatre will present tales from one of the most famous sources of great stories, "The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night." Adapted by Lookingglass Theatre ensemble member Mary Zimmerman, "The Arabian Nights" will be presented at Mundelein High School at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 16-18, and 3:45 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17. Tickets are $8 and $5 for students and seniors. The matinee performance on Friday is only $1 for MHS students.
Since this production will be staged on a 200-seat onstage thrust configuration, ticket reservations are recommended, and can be made at www.mundeleintheatre.org. Tickets can also be purchased 30 minutes before each performance. The play is not recommended for anyone younger than 13.
In "The Arabian Nights," a company of 18 players enacts Scheherazade's tales of love, lust, comedy and dreams. Her stories prevent her husband, the cruel ruler Shahryar, from murdering her, and if she can survive 1,001 nights Shahryar will be cured of his madness and Scheherazade can return to her family.
"I first saw this production at Lookingglass several years ago, and I knew as I was watching that this was a play we needed to produce at Mundelein Theatre," said Jonathan Meier, the play's director. "It is made up of some of the lesser-known tales from The Arabian Nights, and it beautifully drives home how the magic of storytelling can transform people."
"There is a wide variation of subjects portrayed in these tales," said senior Henry Dumblauskas, who portrays Shahryar. "Some of them are beautiful, some are heartbreaking, and some are ridiculously silly."
Senior Ginny Zundel portrays Scheherazade, who is the main storyteller.
"The play is really beautiful, full of music, singing, poetry and dancing. But at its heart, it is quite serious, as my character is literally fighting for her life by telling these stories," she said.
Most of the actors in the play portray multiple characters in the telling of the different stories. Senior Dan Haller portrays seven different characters throughout the show.
"We have all had a great deal of fun coming up with all these different characters, exploring different voices and postures to make them all distinct," he said.
Seniors in the company are Robbie Iraburo-Cochran, Giselle Gil, Maddie Martorana, Joshua Saunders, and Ryan Story. Rounding out the ensemble are Kimberly Barr, Jake Cumberland, Josie Hutson, Rachel Larson, Syndey Litka, Miriam Mitry, Colin Nacion, Joey Salit, Abby Smith and Natalie Williams. Brianna Moderhack is the stage manager and Mackenzie Haith is the assistant director.
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