Magical Multicultural Sinbad at Adventure Stage Theatre
Sunday, April 03, 2011
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Bonnie Kenaz-Mara
Cast of Sinbad- post show Q & A [Photo by Bonnie Kenaz-Mara (ChiIL Mama)]
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We had the great pleasure of checking out the opening
performance of Sinbad: The Untold
Tale. The production was a multicultural feast,
skillfully combining acting and puppetry styles from many lands,
and a cast that hails from around the globe. We particularly
loved the illusions based on Japanese Koken
work, which comes from traditional Kabuki theater.
People (characters and stage hands) all dressed in black in
front of a black background so we don't "see" them as they
transform sticks into swords, or fly around on a
carpet. In fact, all of the actors were on
stage for almost the whole show, either as characters or black clad
magic makers.
Our favorite scenes were the fabulously fun stage
combat scenes, especially the clash of the genies. The
fight scenes were uniquely choreographed, and took the characters
through an exciting array of hand to hand, staffs and sword
fighting. Effective use of props
made comic bookesque metallic
energy bursts and streams visible through expert
illusions. We even wholeheartedly
believed the illusion, as a life sized genie was pulled into a tiny
bottle and imprisoned.
It was especially excellent to see a show with such a rockin'
female co-lead. Sinbad's daughter, Ittifaq is no
princess in a coma or fairy tale girl, sitting home waiting to be
rescued. She takes an active part in the adventures
and is truly her daddy's girl. Sure she needed a bit of
saving, when she fell for a trap, but turned right around and
rescued her rescuer.
We're big fans of literature based productions,
but Adventure Stage took the classic, tried
and true Aladdin and Arabian Nights tales to the next level, with
their U.S. premier of Charles Way's Sinbad: The
Untold Tale.
**Note: Recommended for
ages 9 and up (4th thru 8th grades).
Children under age 5 are not permitted in the
theater.
SINBAD: THE UNTOLD TALE cast includes
Esteban Cruz (Abu Nuwas), Dana Dajani (Ittifaq), Adam El-Sharkawi
(Sinbad the Sailor), Mildred Langford (Jan Shah), Mike Ooi (Silent
Genie) and Edgar Sanchez (Sinbad the
Porter).
In the post show Q & A, all the
actors had a chance to tell the audience where they were originally
from, and there were an impressive array of countries represented,
and none repeated. The actors also shared when they began
acting, and my kids were particularly impress that half the cast
caught the theatre bug as early as
kindergarten!
"Filled with
magical moments, thrilling combat and awe-inspiring special
effects" -
Centerstage Chicago
Ittifaq,
the pampered daughter of famed sailor Sinbad of the Seven Seas,
bristles under her father's overprotective care and longs for an
adventure of her own. Young Sinbad, an orphaned porter, lives on
the streets and relies on his clever wit to survive. The two meet
by chance just before a bitter sorceress casts a poison cloud over
the city of Baghdad. The unlikely duo soon find themselves facing
good and evil genies, daring swordfights, magic boats and flying
carpets. But can Sinbad and Ittifaq defeat the sorceress in time,
or will their beloved city be destroyed
forever?
U.S.
Premiere
SINBAD: THE UNTOLD TALE
Written by Charles Way
Directed by Amanda Delheimer
March 19 - April 16, 2011
Education Matinees
Weekdays: 10:30 a.m.
April 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 15
For more information about booking school groups and our Second
Show Discount,
click here
.
Tickets for these shows may be purchased by the general
public, however, they are not available on-line. Please call
773.342.4141 to buy.
Family Matinees
Saturdays 2:00 p.m.
April 9 (Performance is part of
ASC's Spring Fling
)
April 16
Special Evening Performance: Friday April 8th at 7:00
p.m.
Learning Guide
Our Education Department produces a Learning Guide for all of our
productions. This text is FULL of fun background information about
the show, pre-show and post-show discussion questions, as well as
art and language activities. While we primarily make it for our
educators, we think parents should check it out as well.
Click here to join the fun!
About the Playwright:
Charles Way has written over forty plays, many of them for young
people, including Sleeping Beauty, The
Search for Odysseus (produced by Adventure
Stage Chicago in 2007) and A Spell of Cold
Weather, all of which were nominated as Best Children's Play
by the Writers Guild of Great Britain. His play Merlin
and the Cave of Dreams was nominated for a Helen Hayes award
for Outstanding New Play.
He has recently published the book collection Classic Fairytales Retold for the Stage. Mr. Way's play Red Red Shoes was named 2004's Best Play for Young People by the Arts Council of England. His plays for adults include a well-known version of Bruce Chatwin's On the Black Hill and an adaptation of Independent People by Halldor Laxness. Recent new plays include Still Life and The Long Way Home.
See Sinbad the sailor and Sinbad the porter and expand your horizons!
Bonnie Kenaz-Mara is a writer-photographer-potter-painter-actress-animal wrangler-general creatrix and Mama to two amazing kiddos.
See more of Bonnie's stories here.
Contact Bonnie at bluesun444@mindspring.com
