“The Kite Runner”

Our hero, Amir ( a fabulous portrayal by Ramzi Khalaf) is the son of a powerful man, Baha ( played to perfection by Haythem Noor) who treats their servant’s son, Hassan ( deftly handled by Shazeb Zahid Hussain) as if he is his own. We later find out more about this particular relationship. But for the most part they are best friends.

Part of what was happening during this period was no kite flying, and a “Kite Runner” is someone who has the keen eye to know where your kite may land in order to get it before someone finds it and destroys it. Afghanistan is a divided country, and two childhood friends are about to be torn apart. It’s a beautiful afternoon in Kabul and the skies are full of the excitement and joy of a kite flying tournament. But neither of the boys can foresee the incident which will change their lives forever. Told across two decades and two continents, THE KITE RUNNER is an unforgettable journey of forgiveness, and shows us all that we can be good again. We get to witness what happens when our hero and his father leave for America and the changes in their lives and life styles.  Years later, Amir learns some truths and finds that his “brother” and spouse are deceased but they have a son. Amir and his wife , Soraya (Awesta Zarif) are unable to have children, so Amir decides to go Pakistan to rescue his nephew, Sohrab ( also played by Hussain). They do adopt him and the story ends with them in the park, preparing to fly a kite!

The ensemble is brilliant and proves what I have always said about a play. The story can be great and the direction superb, but without a strong cast of ensemble members, even the best of performers cannot carry the play alone. The tabula artist ( I am pretty sure this is the musician who is onstage for the entire 2 plus hours), Salar Nadar and performers: Johnathan Shaboo,Hassan Nazari-Robati, Wiley Naman Strasser, Danish Farooqui, Jade Ziane, Sophie Zmorrod, Kevin Stevens and James Rana. All terrific.

On a side note, Jane absolutely LOVED this non-musical, finding herself drawn into the story. FYI- There are gunshots and some sexual scenes in this production. I suggest that you only bring your children if they are over 16. I understand a film was made as well, so now I am going to read the book and see the movie to see just how closely they followed. The only suggestion I would make is some overhead projections of translations when they use a foreign tongue. Better understanding makes for a better audience .