SAN FRANCISCO — Golden Thread Productions, the first American theatre company devoted to the Middle East, and Hakawati NGO, a nonprofit dedicated to bridging divides in the Middle East and beyond, are proud to present the world premiere of the play “Azad” (the rabbit and the wolf). This kaleidoscopic multimedia performance is written by Syrian-Armenian-American theatre and film artist Sona Tatoyan in collaboration with two-time Obie Award-winning theater director and multimedia designer Jared Mezzocchi.
“Azad” (the rabbit and the wolf) features a revelatory fusion of ancient Karagöz shadow puppetry, indigenous Middle Eastern folk music, oral storytelling, video projection, and movement. The result is an immersive, autobiographical, theatrical experience performed by Tatoyan herself alongside a tribe of 120-year-old Karagöz puppets and world-renowned oud player Ara Dinkjian.
Performances will take place April 11 – May 3, at Potrero Stage (1695 18th Street, San Francisco), with an opening night set for Monday, April 14 at 8 p.m. The performance schedule is Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets, which start at $20 for previews, $30 for regular performances. Tickets can be purchased at www.goldenthread.org.
In 2019, Tatoyan found herself stranded in her family’s abandoned Aleppo home during the Syrian war.
At the same time, her dear friend and mentor, Turkish human rights activist Osman Kavala, had been recently jailed and was facing a possible life sentence. While confronting historical trauma and the present-day tragedies of her friends and family, Tatoyan discovers her great-great-grandfather’s handmade Karagöz shadow puppets, salvaged from the Armenian Genocide. Guided by the spirit of Scheherazade from One Thousand and One Nights, the puppets act as a bridge between Osman’s work to heal the ruptures of various indigenous communities of Anatoliakara, the war that surrounds Tatoyan, and the greater human experience. The puppets unveil bawdy, hilarious and harrowing tales that transport Sona through an intergenerational, psychedelic journey, alchemizing a radiant truth: stories, when reimagined, possess the power to transmute trauma to healing.
“At a time when our communities are reeling from the livestreamed Palestinian genocide, presenting Sona’s story of survival, intergenerational trauma, and healing holds powerful resonance,” says Golden Thread Executive Artistic Director Sahar Assaf. “‘Azad’ inspires resilience and reminds us of the importance of collective healing to build towards social justice and more compassionate communities. We’re honored to collaborate with Hakawati to present the world premiere of this important piece.”
