Alfredo Aparicio/Staff Writer
Photos by Alexia Escalante/The Beacon
The stage is simple: an alcove in the center with a long row of low steps framed by a sea of stars on the back curtain. Drums and a clarinet play soft music as the actors, one by one, pass along the stage to assemble the finishing touches as the audience shuffles in.
The music sets the mood effectively; the audience is transported to a time in Arabia’s past for the beginning of “Arabian Nights,” a play written by Mary Zimmerman and directed by Phillip Church, associate professor.
The play starts with a murder; King Shahryar discovers his wife with a slave and proceeds to murder her, vowing to marry, love and kill every virgin in the kingdom. This goes on for three years until Scheherezade enchants him with the stories she tells.
Thus, she saves her life and the life of every other virgin maiden in the kingdom.
The plight of Scheherezade, played by Zakiya Markland, performance major, is especially intriguing because she has placed the burden on herself to tame a man who has suffered heartbreak.
However, it is the journey of King Shahryar that is the most compelling because we see his transformation from deceiver and murderer into someone capable of loving once again and creating a family.
With a booming voice and presence, Zack Myers, performance major, creates a King that is loveable, despite his threats and capability of slitting Scheherazade’s throat at any minute.
As a result of his wife’s betrayal, he is misunderstood and it is up to Scheherezade to open up his heart again through the magic of storytelling.
The production’s aim has been to utilize the whole stage as well as the actual theater itself. Actors appear on the balcony, the steps, dance through the rows and sing from the ledge of the stage as the story progresses.
At one point, Scheherezade even asks the audience to name the most generous character in her story.
The cohesiveness of the play is shocking. The movements of each actor were all coordinated; when one actor moved, another actor moved along with them to create harmony.
Many had to speak through long monologues without pausing to take a breath, change characters in the same scene simply by removing one piece of clothing or adding another or dance as they sung their way through the audience onto the stage.
The set design, crafted by the head of design and production, Jesse Dreikosen, allows for this elaborate stage design.
The clean floor plan left a lot of open space for the actors to move around and interact with the audience.
The lighting design, led by Tony Galaska, assistant professor of lighting design and stage management, maintains the flow of the play.
The costume designs, led by Marilyn Skow, artistic director and chair of the Department of Theatre, eases the character transitions for the actors with slip-on velcro costumes that come on easily and come off with a pull.
While they are not very intricate and detailed, the head dresses are the stars. Sown completely by hand, the head dresses are colorful, fun and run down to the waist.
The stories of Scheherezade are some of the most humorous, yet heartfelt, stories assembled onstage: the cheating wife who hides four lovers in her pantry, the husband who hires vulgar street performers to free himself of a marriage and the man who doesn’t realize the love of his childhood sweetheart until it’s too late.
This imbalance, however, causes a strange mood change toward the end of the play. After so many laughs, the final stories are weighed down with heavy metaphors and morals about life, reflecting the King’s change from wanting to be entertained to wanting to be enlightened.
While this last half hour is not as funny and ultimately, less exciting, it still needs to be seen because it builds up to the final three surprises of the play and its satisfying happy ending.
The production fully engages and includes its audience in the ongoing action, resulting in a wildly entertaining night that began with heavy belly laughs and ended with a moral: preserve your stories because they are the most endearing and lasting tradition of mankind.
“Arabian Nights” will run from Mar. 7 to Mar. 11 at the Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Performing Arts Center. General Admission is $15, seniors and University faculty and staff are $12 and University students and FIU Alumni Association Members are $10. Contact the box office at 305-348-0496.
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