Feathers of Fire: A Persian Epic at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
After sold-out performances at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and UCLA’s Freud Playhouse, the cinematic marvel Feathers of Fire: A Persian Epic makes its first appearance at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis) on October 20 for a limited nine-day engagement. Conceived, designed and directed by
Hamid Rahmanian, Feathers of Fire was inspired by Shahnameh, the 10th-century book of epic Persian poetry that he adapted in 2013 into a lavishly illustrated book for contemporary audiences. Using shadow puppetry to create stunning “live animation” on a cinema-size screen, the action-packed tale follows a pair of star-crossed lovers, Zaul and Rudabeh, whose shared love triumphs against all odds. Each performance will be followed by a live 20-minute behind-the-scenes presentation exploring the technique of shadow puppetry. Feathers of Fire was created in collaboration with Larry Reed and ShadowLight Productions. The Farhang Foundation is the community sponsor.
The artistic style and visually stunning imagery created by Rahmanian encompass more than 500 years of visual arts from cultures ranging from India to the Mediterranean Sea (c. 14th – 19th centuries). “Feathers of Fire has elements from the Jungle Book, Rapunzel and Romeo and Juliet,” says Hamid Rahmanian. “But it precedes all of these stories. Zaul’s story is over 1,000 years old – that’s what makes it so universal.”
“Feathers of Fire is like nothing we have presented on our stages before,” said Paul Crewes, The Wallis’ Artistic Director. “It is cinematic in size, scale and storytelling. This innovative production mixes projections and animation with live performance in a new and brilliant manner.”
Single tickets are now available from $35 – $125. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit TheWallis.org/Feathers, call 310.746.4000, or stop by in person at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the