Marjana and the Forty Thieves

See it if you enjoy theatrical exuberance, flashy costumes, multiple styles of presentation, complex storytelling, slapstick, mid-Eastern atmosphere

Don't see it if you need straightforward storylelling, get confused by actors taking turns playing the same part, not a mid-Eastern or slapstick fan

See it if you enjoy a beautiful, well thought out environment with gracious interpersonal moments between the performers and the audience.

Don't see it if you love the Arabian Nights. The oddly repetitive telling of the stories in modern language is disturbingly false to the magic of the tales

See it if You enjoy lovely ambiance. You want to explore storytelling rather than stories.

Don't see it if You want a single, clear narrative. You dislike atypical seating.

See it if you're a fan of fable-based, ensemble-created/performed pieces that feel a little bit old-fashioned in focus or scope.

Don't see it if you want to see a truly inventive or thoughtful take on a classical piece of the literary canon.

Also The piece is an ensemble-driven take on the various texts that make up "The One Thousand and One Nights." The ensemble is skilled, and charming, and enthusiastic. However, for a piece that means to reckon with an old text filled with orgies and women-killing, it sure is lukewarm in its intellectual and artistic take on the narratives to a degree. I'm all for swearing and well-placed/timed vulgar humor, but the piece tries to mix "thees" and "thous" with deadpan and a few f-bombs too many times for it not to feel gimmicky. Meanwhile, we deal with a tale that, even in this reimagining, is still about men killing wives and virgin women, even if men aren't the only ones playing these characters. I found this frustrating and disappointing, given how the whole idea of the piece is meant to be about re-examination and the many different versions of the text that exists. The design is solid and the seating of the play gives it an enchanting, cozy vibe. PLAY SAYS 80 MIN, BUT WAS CLOSER TO 100... Read more Read less

See it if You are a fan of very abstract theater pieces that use unconventional story telling methods. There are also snacks.

Don't see it if You are a fan of strong narrative lines.