Arabian Nights

Comedic take on ancient tales offers sophomoric entertainment

JOSHUA MANES Managing Editor @TheManesEvent

There are many ways to tell a story, and Arabian Nights has many stories to tell. At the heart of it is a mad-king regaining his humanity, falling in love with our storyteller Sheherezade (Sharai Bravo) as she spins tales of fancy night after night to keep her life.

Unfortunately, the over-thetop comedic tone of much of the show falls flat and can feel excessive, taking away from the rich storytelling that should be. At times, the show can feel targeted towards a more juvenile audience, with fart jokes and parts that feel chocked full of the scene breaking style that happens in cartoons. And while the dance choreography is appealing at first, it falls flat throughout.

Visually, the production excels. Set design and costumes are wonderfully done. Little details, such as the thin gold line at the edge of the horizon in the background, make everything pop. With no set changes, the audience can truly get lost staring out across the dunes of the background. Sheherezade draws the audience in with her storytelling just as she does King Shahryar (Asif Baig).

Before she even begins with her tales, the fear on her face when first meeting Shahryar is unmistakable and speaks volumes.

Often times, the storytelling is layered, with a character in Sheherezade’s stories telling their own story. The first example of this is in the story of the Madman (Nickolas Caisse), who recounts the events that led to him being locked up in a madhouse. During the story, Madman speaks with Skeikh (Darnel Young), who leaps around the stage, confusing Madman with his movement and words. The choreography between the two is well thought out and adds a spark to the scene as it begins to fall off.

This is also the first example of the over-the-top comedic style used, but coming from an asylum inmate it seems fitting, but, as the play evolves and more stories are told, the slapstick and caricature can start to wear on the audience.

The comedy is not just presented through dialog and motion. One story features a song about flatulence after Abu al-Hassan rarenas.roundupnews@gmail.com

(Robert Johnson) passes gas while meeting a prospective bride.

Not every story relies heavily on comedy. The most touching of the stories is that of Azia (Darnel Young) and Azizah (Alliyah Ferrera), two cousins who grow up together and love each other, but Azia pursues another woman, at the behest of Azizah.

While much of the cast if young and inexperienced, most of the production’s issues come from the script that is now 25 years old. First performed one month prior to the release of Disney’s Aladdin, a familiar character from the source material The Book of One Thousand Nights and One Night who is left out of Arabian Nights along with Ali Baba and Sinbad. Comedy is one of the more difficult acting disciplines, and as the cast grows more comfortable on stage the show could certainly improve with some of the caricature turned down.

Arabian Nights runs through Dec. 10 at the Pierce College Dow Arena Theatre. Tickets are available at www.brownpapertickets.com.

Co-Advisor of the QBC and librarian Mario Macias said ErsigMarcus has led similar Safe Zone trainings for faculty and staff in the past. Together, they decided to also educate student body leaders.

“We wanted to target student leaders and clubs because we wanted to create a community of understanding,” Macias said.

Macias said the training is designed to teach student leaders the basics of a queer curriculum and appropriate LGBTQ vocabulary.

Gordon said the Safe Zone training will help the community understand that Pierce is a safe campus for all members.

“We want to have solidarity with other groups and have as many members as possible and feel safe,” Gordan said.

Horse owner Kelly O’Connell brought her horse from the Lake View Terrace Area, and said she helped evacuate four separate loads of horses, bringing a total of 10 horses to the Pierce College Equestrian Center.

“Horse people, they all just come together,” O’Connell said. “There are a lot of horse owners that don’t have trailers, and we try and help out everyone that doesn’t. Everyone tries to come together and coordinate. It’s just what equestrians do.”

“I got a call at 4:15 in the morning that the fire was coming down the canyon, and our horses are up Little Tujunga Canyon,” O’Connell said. “Today was pretty scary. There were embers, there was fire, and it was right there.”

Horse owner Lisa Farrah said she rushed to evacuate her 100 percent purebred Friesian horse after receiving the call from the ranch that boards her horse.

“I literally went flying past parked traffic and went into ongoing traffic, because I know how fires can escalate,” Farrah said. “I saw the fire when I was driving to the ranch. It was literally at the front door.”

Gonzalez said their goal is to make sure everyone has somewhere safe to go, providing food, water, shelter and aroundthe-clock care to evacuees. He said residents in mandatory evacuation zones have first priority to board their animals.

“We are trying to make it as painless as possible, especially with large animals,” Gonzalez said. “We all know that they get nervous, especially if you have horses that are not used to going in and out of trailers.”

Gonzalez said the evaluation center will be open until after the “all clear” is given.

Carly King, a horse owner, was told by her ranch manager to evacuate to Pierce College. King said the Equestrian Center would provide her with food and water, however, she brought her own to be safe.

“It’s one of those things where you never know, so you want to grab your own stuff while you have the opportunity,” King said. “I believe I’m going to be leaving my horse here overnight as long as the evacuations are in place.”