Nasrudin's Magnificent Journey to Samarkand
"Our 2023 production is a new interpretation of a play from the Golden Thread Fairytale Players repertoire, Nasrudin’s Magnificent Journey to Samarkand, written by Torange Yeghiazarian and directed by Sarah Al-Kassab. This visually colorful performance is adapted from folktales centered around the comedic personage, Nasrudin Hoja (also known as Mullah Nasrudin or Juha), a wise fool renowned in Central Asia, Turkey, Iran, and the Arab world. The performance follows Nasrudin and his faithful donkey as they travel through caravansaries in Konya and Damascus where Nasrudin’s clever wisdom and propensity for exposing hypocrisy frequently get him into trouble. Will Nasrudin and his faithful donkey ever make it to Samarkand, the center of arts and crafts on the ancient Silk Road? There is only one way to find out!" Ages 5 - 12
About the Golden Thread Fairytale Players
Golden Thread Fairytale Players is the Bay Area's only multicultural theatre that offers child-centered cultural exploration of the Middle East. Drawn from timeless folktales and popular children’s stories from the Middle East, these entertaining plays fuse traditional performance styles such as epic storytelling, dance, music, and puppetry with circus arts and commedia dell'arte. Our dynamic and humorous shows are unique in educating young audiences on alternative perspectives of the Middle East, as we highlight the diversity of this often-misunderstood region through heartwarming, family fables, and original storytelling. Golden Thread Fairytale Players performances serve children of all backgrounds by fostering cross-cultural understanding, cultivating creativity and imagination, and imparting basic theatre knowledge.
Our performances are ideal for children aged 5 - 12, but people of all ages are guaranteed to also enjoy our performances! The 50-minute presentation includes a 30-minute performance and a 20-minute Q&A with the artists. Convenient study guides and activities for grades K-5 (which incorporate California Educational Standards for Performing Arts, History, Social Studies, and Language Arts) are available to enhance the performance.