In the News

I did the math before I got there: in order to fit 1,001 stories into two hours (give or take), we have to hear somewhere right around 8 of them per minute (give or take). Excellent . . . a challenge.  And a challenge that Actors Bridge Ensemble and the Belmont University Department of Theatre and Dance, jointly, do not take lightly with their production of ARABIAN NIGHTS by Mary Zimmerman.

And they succeed, thanks to the expert direction of Bill Feehely, and a very capable melting pot of a cast. With professional actors and students working side by side, the classic tales of morality, wisdom, comedy, and tragedy (which I have never seen onstage - nor, I am embarrassed to admit, even read before) are very well-manipulated, one within another, to present the audience with a very entertaining evening. Zimmerman's treatment of the mythic tales shows a vast amount of research and an intimate knowledge of the legends held inside it; she weaves a fast-paced, multi-faceted yarn-full-of-yarns about the young virgin Scheherezade, whose father is forced to give her up to the evil Sharyar, a hard ruler whose plan is to kill Scheherezade at the break of dawn. The girl and her sister concoct a plan to keep her alive - at least for a little while - by using her impressive story-telling skills to intrigue the king and make him postpone her murder by way of keeping him in suspense as to how the story will end...tomorrow. After 1,001 nights of stories, Sharyar has fallen in love with Scheherezade, and she with him, and her life is spared. It's a harrowing task to attempt on the stage - how to make 1,001 nights fly by in an instant? 

The actors took charge of the stage, and made a potentially grim task colourful, exuberant, and touching with their nearly classical presentation techniques. Daniella Mason as Scheherezade lit up the stage with her beautiful presence and a clear, resonant voice. Her sister, Dunyazade, played by Kristin McCalley was a meek, yet conniving character, played with youthful, quiet strength. Jon Royal treated us to a fierce, but not un-malleable Sharyar, as well as very appropriately appearing in one of Scheherezade's more passionate tales, as Aziz, an actor of sorts in his own right. "It is related" that Max Desir plays the mythical Harun Al-Rashid, around whom all of the stories centred, in one way or another. His character was consistent, and his lovely speaking voice made my heart melt just a little. Among the very versatile and talented ensemble of 12 others, most notable included the sensually fascinating Liz Young, the sweet and lively Maggie McDowell and Michael Rosenbaum, Mallory Gleason, Kanya Lai, and John Silvestro.

Not the least of the innovative approaches to the play, and perhaps the most memorable, is an almost entirely full score of original music by Pru Clearwater. It included many styles, keeping within the loose confines of Eastern musical traditions, and even gives the audience many songs sung by the actors - a very effective tool that makes all the difference in the show's pacing and entertainment value, not to mention its highlighting of the gorgeous voices belonging to those singing them. The lights, designed by Richard K. Davis, were beautiful, never taking attention from where it should be, and always adding to the ultimate effect of the moment. R. Paul Gatrell's amazing set draws the eye to many levels, with many visual focal points, and meshed perfectly with June Kingsbury's lovely modernized-classic costumes. I was very pleased that it was brought to the audience's attention (before the performance begins) credit to Mallory Gleason for choreographing some of the musical numbers (which was left out of the program) - I made a note of it in case it was of honourable mention, and by God, it was. 

Overall, this play was a vibrant evening of well-crafted theatre. Sadly, its run has now reached its end, but to anyone who wonders whether seeing student productions at Belmont is worthwhile - it is, not to mention Actors Bridge's reputation - their partnership once a year is proving itself a very profitable one. 

Trudy’s Truth in Theatre:

There are many truths to find within these fascinating 1,001 stories, but the truth I've chosen to apply to this particular performance is the value of working with people "out of your league," in either direction. I know for me, some of the greatest times of learning I've had in my shows came first from working as a young lady with older, more experienced folk, but also from aging (quite a bit!) myself and being able to open my eyes and learn from the youth around me with so much to offer that they don't even know about yet. Kudos to the Actors Bridge and Belmont production teams for joining together and making such an effective and educational collaboration. It is sure to change lives for the better, from the people involved in production to us in the audience. That is a truth of which you should be very proud.  Thank you.