Haroun and the Sea of Stories Connects Cultures, Generations
Sentell Harper, Antonio Ocampo-Guzman and Katie Harroff in the ASU Herberger MainStage Theatre production of Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Oct. 13 – Oct. 22. Photo by Tim Trumble, courtesy Herberger College of Fine Arts.
Photo courtesy of Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.
TEMPE, Ariz. – A tale about the importance of art and storytelling is depicted in the ASU Herberger College MainStage Theatre production of Haroun and the Sea of Stories. Based on the first novel Salman Rushdie wrote after being forced into hiding, the play is appropriate for all ages. Performances run Oct. 13-22 at the Galvin Playhouse on the ASU Tempe campus. A free symposium about Rushdie andHaroun and the Sea of Stories, presented by the School of Theatre and Film and the Department of English is open to the public Oct. 13.
This universal story follows Haroun and his jovial father Rashid, who is a famous storyteller. One day, Rashid’s passion for storytelling disappears and Haroun begins a voyage to the ocean for the Streams of Story, the source for all storytellers.
“Fiction can point us to a reality that is relevant to the human condition,” says Erma Duricko, 2006 Meredith Harless visiting artist and the show’s director. “To me, the play’s concept is cross-cultural and cross-generational. Haroun exemplifies that human creativity is a source of union and that imagination and fantasy win the battle over cold-hearted rationalism and totalitarianism.”
Prior to the opening-night performance, the public can attend a free symposium that addresses Rushdie’s use of post-colonialism and the signs and symbols in his work. Members of the Department of English faculty, joined by visiting artist Johann Stegmeir will lead the panel discussion from 3-5 p.m. at the Lyceum Theatre, 901 S. Forest Mall on the ASU Tempe campus.
Tickets for Haroun and the Sea of Stories are $7 - $22 and available at http://mainstage.asu.edu/, or through the Herberger College Box Office, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays, 480-965-6447. Show times are 7:30 p.m., Oct. 13 and 14; and 19-21; with 2 p.m. performances on Oct. 15 and 22 at the Galvin Playhouse, which is located in the Nelson Fine Arts Center, at Mill Avenue & 10th Street on the ASU Tempe campus.
The Herberger College School of Theatre and Film provides a comprehensive range of courses in performance and directing; design and production; new work development; theatre and performance studies; film; and theatre for youth. Its Theatre for Youth program is nationally ranked in the top three and the creative writing/playwriting program is ranked 15th among public institutions by " U.S. News & World Report ." To learn more about the School of Theatre and Film, visit http://theatre.asu.edu.