Katelynn Papineau of Kankakee takes a magic carpet ride with "The Arabian Nights" at the PLT

2015 Apr 2

"The Arabian Nights," weaves ancient tales of wonder into a rich and poetic testament to the transformational power of storytelling at Lewis University's Philip Lynch Theatre (PLT). This storybook world is based on Powys Mathers's translation, "The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night" and adapted by Chicago's award winning director, Mary Zimmerman. The show revolves around a brave young woman spinning tales using imagination and the encyclopedia of human experiences to prevent her husband, the powerful king, from executing her at sunrise. The show made its debut in 1992 at the Lookingglass Theatre in Chicago and has been enchanting audiences across the U.S. ever since. Kankakee (60901) resident Katelynn Papineau is part of the PLT production.

It is revealed at the beginning of the play that King Shahryar (Zachary Abu-Shanab, Plainfield) has been betrayed by his first wife, and as a consequence he murders her. From then on, he believes that all women are deceitful, and he vows to marry a virgin each night and kill her the next morning. This royal nightly ritual has gone on for three years. Shahryar's next victim is Scheherazade (Brianna Reidy, Darien) the beautiful eldest daughter of his faithful wazir(Christopher Hueg, Roseville, MN). The King demands Scheherazade as his bride and queen. Scheherazade weds the brooding King and brings her little sister, Dunyazade (Kate Sisto, Orland Park) to the palace with aplan. Scheherazade, the clever girl, nightly spins enough tales to weave a tapestry. Her stories are full of magic, humor, wonder, and a lesson or two. She attempts to save her life, and the life of her sister - and maybe even the King's - by distracting him with stories. Like her tales, however, the king is unpredictable. How many sunrises will Scheherazade live to see?

Theatre manager Jo Slowik of Joliet is directing "The Arabian Nights" with a talented cast of Lewis student performers and musicians including: Faith Berry of Joliet, Stephanie Lipinski of Oak Forest, Jordin Richards of Tinley Park, Rachel Tau of Wood Dale, Matthew Carlson of Lockport, Jake Dorencz of Romeoville, Mike Frale of Elk Grove Village, Sean Gallagher of Mokena, William Kostecka of Winfield, Kawaan Panama and Kevin Zigman both of Chicago, Tyler Senjanin of Evergreen Park, Adam Jezl-Sikorski of Burbank, Adam Parker of Naperville, and Kate O'Neil of Yorkville.

Working behind the scenes are Celeste Mackey of Joliet (costume design), Andrew Nelsen of Joliet (technical director and student design mentor), Beth Sadler of Homer Glen (stage manger and set design), Emma McGee of Joliet (assistant stage manager), Allie DiMiele of New Lenox (properties manager), Carole McKee of Plainfield (assistant properties manager), Kate O'Neil of Yorkville (light design), Jonathan Boehle of Cornell (light board operator), Rob Kornaus of Plainfield (sound design), Dave Pomatto of Naperville (assistant technical director), Katy Papineau of Kankakee and Kevin Bukauski of Tinley Park are the backstage crew.

"The Arabian Nights" is a celebration of the powers of storytelling and will be performed on April 17-19 and April 23-26. It is recommended for patrons 13 years old and up. The evening performances are 8 p.m. and the Sunday matinees are 2:30 p.m. In addition, there is a benefit matinee performance for Regional Care Association at 4 p.m. on April 25 complete with silent auction and dessert buffet. Advanced tickets purchases are strongly encouraged for all performances. Ticket prices are $10 for an adult, $9 for students and seniors. Lewis students with an ID pay $2. For groups of 15 or more tickets are $8. Tickets are non-refundable. For more information, patrons can check out the PLT Website at www.lewisu.edu/plt, or call the box office (815) 836-5500 Monday through Friday 1-430 p.m. The theatre is located on the main campus, the Oremus Fine Arts Center on Route 53 in Romeoville.

Lewis University is a Catholic university in the Lasallian tradition offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 6,700 traditional and adult students. Lewis offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis prepares intellectually engaged, ethically grounded, globally connected, and socially responsible graduates. The seventh largest private not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. Visit www.lewisu.edu for further information.