Adaptation worthwhile for all ages

By Joseph T. Rozmiarek
Advertiser Drama Critic

•	'Arabian Nights' 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday Leeward Community College Lab Theater $5 455-0549

That's the lead scene from "Arabian Nights," adapted by Dominic Cooke from "The Thousand and One Nights" — folk tales of Indian, Persian and Arab origin with which the beautiful Shahrazad entertains the Persian King and delays her beheading.

LCC theater productions are always bold, and this one brims over with color and movement. The production is directed by Paul Cravath for the Leeward Community College Lab Theatre, but it's big and bright enough to hold its own on the main stage. One suspects that the lab theater started out in life as an architectural afterthought buried in the basement of a distinguished structure that houses a much larger main stage. Down two flights of stairs at the rear of the building, and lacking windows, finished surfaces, or a shred of charm, it's clearly a storeroom with oddly placed structural supports.

But give designer Reb Beau Allen several cans of paint and it becomes a Baghdad palace, stuffed with patterned mosaics, carpets, pillows, and an oasis view. Costume coordinator Willow Chang lavishly outfits belly dancers, kings, slaves and beggars, and there's enough room — barely — for percussionist Jan Jeffries to set up musical instruments.

The evening unfolds as story theater, a technique where actors speak both narration and dialogue to move us through the action. It's all done with a gutsy sense of humor and abundant enthusiasm. But what ices the cake is a developing sense of style that gives the evening weight and substance.

The material ranges from obscure to ribald and — interestingly, omits the tales of Sinbad the Sailor and Aladdin and his magic lamp.

But we get to meet the Little Beggar (Jillian King) who chokes on a fish bone and passes through a sequence of townsfolk — each of whom believe they've killed her. There's a man who explains the reason for mercilessly beating his horse and a story of changeling royal babies.

There's an imaginative sequence filled with puppets, diamonds, gigantic birds, a flying carpet and an absurd tale of a man shamed into exile by having passed gas while walking to the marriage altar.

Connecting it all together are Carmen Jones as an attractive and intelligent Shahrazad and Lance Chinen as the distraught King.

The show plays for two inventive and delightful acts and should entertain both children and adults.