Ali Kiani

Around the World in Seven Acts Ali Kiani

The seven plays in this collection, dealing with various subjects and issues, are arranged in chronological order - from Sidewalk Gurus, set in India in the late 12th century to The Storytellers, set in Iran in the early 20th century. These Plays, although different in settings, subject matters, characters, and religious beliefs, present indigenous dramatic elements that have played an important part in the cultural life of non-Western countries. These plays, which are set in different historical, religious, and cultural backgrounds, show how topical and relevant the subjects of arranged marriages, woman's rights, tribal wars, the caste system, family relationships, and western impacts are to the contemporary society. Some of the subjects in this anthology are drawn from popular, literary, religious, and historical sources. The Golden Canary was inspired by Japanese Kyogen, Return of the Shadows by Turkish shadow-puppet theater, The Storytellers by the Persian art of storytelling, and Three Wishes by A Thousand and One Nights. Sidewalk Gurus focuses on the Indian caste system; Lost in the Bush is based on slavery and tribal wars, and The Way of Yu Pay-Foo depicts family relationships and Western influence. The richness and popularity of the earlier traditional theaters have continued to influence and inspire modern drama.