Cal Poly Theatre and Dance to Stage ‘Arabian Nights’

SAN LUIS OBISPO – Cal Poly’s Theatre and Dance Department will stage award-winning playwright Mary Zimmerman’s “The Arabian Nights” at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 8-10 and Nov. 15-17, in the Spanos Theatre.

In “The Arabian Nights,” King Shahryar is betrayed by his wife. The heartbroken king swears to never love again. Each night he marries a young woman, and each morning the woman is put to death -- until the arrival of Scheherezade, a supreme storyteller.

The king delays Scheherezade’s execution because he eagerly anticipates her ongoing tales of love, lust, infidelity, courage and imagination. The nightly tales continue for 1,001 nights, until King Shahryar and Scheherezade are united in a true marriage.

The well-known tales of Ali Baba, Sinbad and Aladdin are not included in this version of “Arabian Nights.” Instead, Zimmerman presents more obscure tales. These powerful and comic renditions subtly instruct the king, soften his heart and enable him to feel emotion once again. Ultimately “The Arabian Nights” is a testament to the power of storytelling.

The cast includes 12 actors, each playing a variety of roles. The play is designed and directed by Cal Poly Theatre and Dance Professor Al Schnupp, who recently directed “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” at the university. Schnupp is a published playwright whose script, “The Site,” was recently produced at the American Theatre of Actors in New York City. Kathy Dugan, a lecturer in the Cal Poly Theatre and Dance Department, designed the costumes.

Zimmerman, a professor of performance studies at Northwestern University, is also the author of such memorable plays as “The Secret in the Wings” and “Metamorphoses,” which garnered her a Tony Award for direction. Her latest play, “Argonautika,” is currently being produced at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Zimmerman is a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship.

Tickets to “The Arabian Nights” are $10 for students and senior citizens and $12 for the public. They are on sale at the Performing Arts Ticket Office from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. To order by phone, call SLO-ARTS (756-2787), or order online at www.pacslo.org.

Because the show contains erotic language, it is not recommended for children under 13 years of age.

For more information, call Cal Poly Theatre and Dance Department at 756-1465.

Note to Editors: Contact Cal Poly Public Affairs at 756-1511 for photos.

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