This brilliant, hilarious, and acclaimed play by Mary Zimmerman was adapted from “One Thousand and One Nights”, a collection of oral Persian, Indian and Arabic stories.

In this play, stories literally swirl around Scheherazade, a young maiden and her frozen-hearted husband, King Shahryar, who plans to put her to death as soon as their wedding night is over. Under these dire circumstances, Scheherazade devises a plan to tell a story that will save her life. From this initial story, more stories evolve in an infinite kaleidoscope of tales, introducing new characters and new anecdotes. Scheherazade tells stories for 1,001 nights, enthralling Shahryar, as she cleverly reveals a moral for each tale and makes him fall in love with her along the way.

The stories are crafted to enrapture the audience, transport them to another time and space, and ultimately connect the characters of each story to the tales they tell. Each tale opens a redemptive doorway filled with hope and positivity. As the characters bare their souls, the audience is led through hilarious and poignant tales of greed, sex, and revenge.

Ultimately, The Arabian Nights gives us all an opportunity to let our creativity and imagination run wild thanks to this non-traditional theater piece that reinterprets ancient storytelling with a uniquely modern sensibility. The Arabian Nights is the gateway to a thought-provoking and spectacular experience for our audience, our performers, and our production team. Inferno Theatre can’t wait to take you on this amazing ride filled with movement, dance, and live music!