Leyla & Majnun, adapted from Nizami's poetry in Persian

Commissioned by Berkeley RADICAL (Research And Development Initiative in Creativity, Arts, and Learning), a framework to cultivate public artistic literacy and create cultural access for diverse future audiences.

This staged reading of the LAYLA AND MAJNUN story adapted and directed by Torange Yeghiazarian, Founding Artistic Director of Golden Thread Productions, took place at the LAYLA AND MAJNUN symposium produced by Cal Performances on October 1, 2016. The script is based on Nizami’s poem of LAYLA AND MAJNUN and is told in an aesthetic inspired by epic story-tellers and hakawati of the Middle East.

Featuring Munaf Alsafi, Majd Murad, Adrienne Shamszad, and Dina Zarif

The reading is accompanied by images of LAYLA AND MAJNUN through the ages, including scenes from the new production. The LAYLA AND MAJNUN symposium took place in conjunction with the world premiere of the Mark Morris Dance Group and Silk Road Ensemble’s performance of the same name at Cal Performances September 30 -October 2, 2016 as part of the organization’s Berkeley RADICAL initiative.