Song of the North
New York Times Critic’s Pick
”Breathtaking fireworks of creativity” - Le Monde
”The Persian soul and culture vibrate in this original and poetic show.” - Toute La Culture
”Out of the ordinary!” - Les Echos
It is one of the slickest large shadow shows ever made,The story, the delivery, it's all 10 / 10. - UNIMA -USA
Song of the North is a large-scale, cinematic performance combining the manual art of shadow puppetry with projected animation to tell the courageous tale of Manijeh, a heroine from ancient Persia, who must use all her strengths and talents to rescue her beloved, Bijan, from a perilous predicament of her own making and help prevent a war. This epic love story employs a cast of 500 handmade puppets and a talented ensemble of nine actors and puppeteers, all of which come together to create a spectacular experience that advances the themes of unity, collaboration, and experimentation through performance and story. Song of the North, adapted from the Book of Kings (Shahnameh), challenges the Eurocentric worldview of art and storytelling through a contemporary multimedia experience of this classic Persian tale. (80 minutes)
FEATHERS OF FIRE
RECIPIENT OF THE 2019 UNIMA-USA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN LIVE PERFORMANCE AND DESIGN
112 SHOWS AND 100,000 SPECTATORS WORLDWIDE
Fantastic! spectacular,...cinematic wizardry"
Francis Ford Coppola
Astonishing and Magical! Le Figaro
”A masterpiece” -NYC Theater Review
"A feast for the senses." - Puppeteering Intl. Magazine
"Jaw dropping" - PBS/KCET
”You've never seen anything like this” -Broadway Review
The play unfolds an action-packed magical tale of star-crossed lovers from the 10th-century Persian epic Shahnameh (‘The Book of Kings’), – Zaul and Rudabeh, who triumph at the end against all odds. Rahmanian's graphics, derived from the visual tradition of the region, are rendered as puppets, costumes, masks, scenography and digital animation, all of which come to life in a “live animation” shadow casting technique perfected by shadow master Larry Reed on a cinema-size screen. The play also features an original score by the acclaimed musical team, Loga Ramin Torkian & Azam Ali. Feathers of Fire had its world premiere at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2016. For more information visit www.Kingorama.com
Watch Feathers of Fire on Vimeo.
Pop some popcorn, dim the lights, and enjoy the family friendly epic tale from Shahnameh.
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Prince of Sorrows
Commissioned by the SilkRoad Ensemble
Prince of Sorrows was created as part of the Silkroad Ensemble’s music and art collaborative project Heroes Take Their Stand in 2019.
Adapted, designed and directed by Hamid Rahmanian
Music composed by Kayhan Kalhour
Animation: Qmars Kalami
Character illustration: Syd Fini
Calligraphy: Mohsen Ebadi
Running time: 23 minutes
Mina's Dream
Mina’s Dream is a specially commissioned performance by the Onassis Foundation. This 15-minute shadow play tells the story of a young girl whose dreams are bigger than her community’s social pressures and decrees. A young actor performs behind a screen that displays animated characters and objects, representing those who try to keep her from pursuing her dreams. A soundscape of live music, voices and effects create a tension and struggle that the young protagonist must fight against. (2016)
A shadow play by Hamid Rahmanian
Performed by Maire Vigliotta
Animation: Naghmeh Farzaneh
Music: Nima Farzaneh
Sound Design: David Wilson
Storyboards: Syd FiniVoice overs: Elmira Rahim, Sedate Threatt, Danielle Larson and Tarah Pollack Assistant Directors: Anita Maghduri and Neda Kazemifar
Zahhak: The Legend of the Serpent King
Persian legend comes to life with live musical accompaniment and intricate shadow puppetry. From the Shahnameh or Book of Kings - an epic narrative penned in the 10th century by Persian poet Ferdowsi—this shadow play tells the story of a misguided prince who becomes the villainous Serpent King.