Download Golden Thread`s Fairytale Players

Golden Thread's Fairytale Players’
The Girl Who Lost Her Smile
“Once upon a time, in the ancient city of Baghdad, there was a young girl called Jehan.
When Jehan smiled by day, the sun shone brightly.
When she smiled at night, the stars glittered and sparkled…”
This eclectic presentation of a children's story by Karim Alrawi incorporates elements of
Naghali, the traditional Iranian story telling style, Commedia dell Arte and Middle Eastern
folk dance. Presented in English with Persian poetry.
Featuring: Sarah Al-Kassab, Monica Cappuccini,
Qayyuma DiDomenico, Lanie Wieland,
Simin Yahaghi, Torange Yeghiazarian
Ensemble Director: Carol Ellis
Backdrop
Termeh Yeghiazarian
Costumes
Sarah Al-Kassab
Masks & Props Carol Ellis, Sarah Al-Kassab,
Garret Westfal, Lanie Wieland
Choreography Lisa Tateosian
Inspired by a poem from Rumi’s Mathnavi, presentational concept & additional dialogue by
Torange Yeghiazarian.
Persian Poetry by Fedowsi from the Shahnameh or King’s Book of Kings.
Originally developed and co-directed by Dariush Irannejad.
Golden Thread’s Fairytale Players rehearse at SOJA Martial Arts Studio’s in Oakland
www.sojamartialarts.com
Many thanks to Peter Ajemian and Keyumars Hakim
BOOKINGS: [email protected]
To join the Fairytale Players contact Carol Ellis at [email protected]
www.goldenthread.org
Artist Biographies
SARAH AL-KASSAB is a long-time performer and costume
designer. She is of Jordanian/Scottish-German background,
has traveled to Jordan and lived in Thailand. Sarah loves
dancing, and has studied many disciplines. She also works as
a costume designer, a party entertainer and an actor.
KARIM ALRAWI (Author) was born and raised in Egypt , and
lived in England from an early age. Some of his earliest plays
were performed at the Royal Court Theatre and the Theatre
Royal Stratford East. He taught at the American University in
Cairo , becoming active in the Egyptian Organization for Human
Rights. Now living in North America, Alrawi has had productions
at a number of theatres in Canada and the US including Deep
Cut, produced by Golden Thread Productions.
MONICA CAPPUCCINI is of Italian descent, and was born and
raised in London, where she fell in love with theatre at an early
age. She spent 25 years running her own adventure-travel
business, during which time she traveled the world over--from
India to South America, West Africa to Yemen. Now based in
the Bay Area, Monica is re-claiming her passion--the stage!
QAYYUMA DIDOMENICO is a world traveler recently settled in
the Bay Area. She has studied many dance disciplines from
around the world, and is also a stilt-walker, juggler and an
acrobat. Her diverse performance background also includes
Commedia dell'arte and she learned to fire-dance on the
Thailand.
CAROL ELLIS holds an MFA from Columbia University . She
has worked in Poland , Bulgaria, Russia , Chile , California ,
Massachusetts , and NYC. She created the role of Tia Choco in
Tortilla Moon, a new play for children that debuted at the World
Children's Theatre Festival in San Diego , CA and at the Centre
de Cultura in Tijuana , Mexico . She founded The Ochlos
Theatre Workshop in 2004.
VIDA GHAHREMANI began acting in film as a teenager in Iran
where she established the standards of stardom. Vida is an
associate artist of Golden Thread where she performed in
Abaga and Nine Armenians. A member of the Screen Actors
Guild, Vida has performed in numerous Iranian and American
films, most recently one by Wayne Wang.
LANIE WIELAND caught the performing bug at an early
age...and quickly realized theatre was the perfect way to blend
her love of performance and art. An actor, singer, dancer and
designer, Lanie also has a passion for creating and working with
puppets and masks. While living in Turkey, she studied Turkish
shadow puppetry. She has also worked with Bread and Puppet
Theater.
SIMIN YAHAGHI was born in Iran and moved to Italy to study
music and theatre. She has performed with several theatre
companies around Europe. She has performed in theatre
festivals in Bologna and Egypt (with Golden Thread
Productions). Simin works as a radio producer and a yoga
instructor. She loves to sing, dance, play the Daf and make
animal and bird noises.
TORANGE YEGHIAZARIAN writes, directs and acts for the
Theatre. Among her plays are Call Me Mehdi, Waves, Dawn at
Midnight, Behind Glass Windows, Abaga. A native of Iran and of
Armenian heritage, Torange is the founding artistic director of
Golden Thread Productions.