'Arabian Knights' shines on ACCC stage

The Near East comes to Iola tonight through Saturday when Allen County Community College presents “Arabian Nights.”
The production, directed by Tony Piazza, is a 1992 adaptation of the 1,200 year-old tale of a Persian king and his story-telling queen.
ACCC’s version was written by Chicago theater director Mary Zimmerman. “Her forte is taking classical pieces and reinventing them,” Piazza said.
In “Arabian Nights,” a king, angry over his wife’s infidelity, has been bedding and beheading virgins as an expression of his rage. Each girl is given just one night with the king.
Thus enters Scheherezade, a girl of learning who has studied poets and past kings. On her chosen night, she pleads with the king to say one last good-bye to her younger sister. As her farewell, she begins to weave a tale.
Intrigued, then mesmerized by the story, the king is startled when she stops the story without telling its end. Asking her to go on, she says she cannot, for it is daybreak and time to die.
He spares her life.
She continues the next night, finishing one tale and beginning another, and so it goes for 1,001 nights, until the king has lost all traces of his anger, Piazza said.
“It’s about how art can heal people,” he said. “She heals him of his vengeful nature and his hurt.”

ACCC’S production of the piece is non-stop. One story leads to the next, characters overlapping, for stories within stories, all told with the constant threat of Scheherezade’s death in the background, imagined as a curved knife wielded by the petulant Garrett Skidmore against the throat of Paige Schauf, who plays the leading role.
About mid-way through her tales, the enchanting Schauf asks the king’s opinion on a tale, thus opening him up to the story’s effects.
Costuming is rich as the culture it represents, with brocades and silks and gauzy veils. Terri Piazza, with Nancy McEndree, were in charge.
Many of the actors play numerous roles, donning burkas, veils, hats or robes to differentiate the characters, all which represent aspects of human nature.
Elizabeth Otto plays a vain young woman who tries to entrance a virtuous merchant, Sean Swanson. When he refuses her offer, she plots against him, tricking him into marrying the deformed daughter of a local sheik.
Infidelity makes an appearance in the story of a jester and his wife.
Desiree Mason, as the jester’s wife, takes a slew of lovers, then hides them all in the bathroom when her husband comes home unexpectedly.
Jon Eddy, as the husband, discovers them, but rather than confront the obvious, in jester-like fashion he proclaims them returned saints and takes them to see the caliph.
This opens the door to a handful of even more absurd tales, culminating in the hilarious story of the embarrassed bridegroom, whose wedding feast had effects that were more than his guests could handle.
Chris Yackle plays the affected bridegroom. His facial expressions lead the audience to laughter.
Through all the tales, Isiah Smith is regal, playing perfectly the role of caliph Harun al Rashid, judging his subjects with calm fairness.
The final stories speak of love and doing what’s right, often against one’s own will.
Lindsey Jarvis as Sympathy the Learned is a commanding presence, while Jon Eddy, Jamarious Wicker and Christopher Haynes play wise men bested by her knowledge with grace, dignity and just a touch of humor, truly sage indeed.

PIAZZA and some of his students saw “Arabian Nights” last year in Kansas City, he said, and thought it an apt piece for the troupe.
“I like it because it’s a group/ensemble play,” Piazza said. “It’s an interesting theatrical presentation.”
“Arabian Knights” is getting more attention as the U.S. remains embroiled in wars in the Middle East, Piazza said.
“All theater is a look at the culture of place,” he said. And even though “the plays were originally written in 800 AD ... it’s kind of like visiting another country.”
That said, Piazza noted the play is not a political piece.
“People love, yearn and feel wherever they are — they’re all people.”
“Arabian Nights” plays at 7:30 p.m. tonight through Saturday at the Allen College Theater.