The Arabian Nights or 1,001 Nights, a collection of Middle Eastern folklore, was introduced to Europe in the 18th century, capturing the Western imagination and remaining popular ever since. There have been many renditions of these tales over the years, and undoubtedly most of you are familiar with Disney's 1992 hit feature length animation of Aladdin, one of the most popular stories in the collection.

While our version of Arabian Nights recounts the well-known Aladdin as well as Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves, the real focus of our play is the story of Sultan Shahyrar and Scheherazade. This particular story does not appear in the collection per se, but is instead the framing device that ties all the other stories together. 

You may recall that the 1,001 stories of The Arabian Nights are told to Sultan Shahyar over the course of 1,001 nights by Scheherazade, who uses her ability to entertain the Sultan with accounts of such characters as Ali Baba and Aladdin. But for Scheherazade these are not mere stories, rather they are that which shield her from the Sultan's wrath.

Sultan Shahryar, you see, was betrayed by his first wife and is determined to avenge himself on all women as a result. He causes great suffering until he encounters Scheherazade and her delightful array of characters. The tales distract him from his rage and eventually soothe his bitterness of soul.

This framing story brings many questions to mind about the art of storytelling, the role of the imagination and how the literary arts foster healing. We've explored these questions as we've built our show, and we look forward to sharing our work with you.

Every year we invite all students to audition for our Fall Play.

A team of experienced faculty and upper school students support the cast and crew as they engage with all aspects of production, encouraging students to take risks not only on the stage as performers, but behind the scenes as designers, composers, technicians and managers. This experience requires students to collaborate fully, embrace responsibility, and strive for excellence.

Contact Information:

Please email Catherine Marchionni at [email protected]  for questions or concerns about your ticket purchase