B Street Theatre Presents THE CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS, 8/10-9/6

The B Street Theatre is pleased to present The Conference of the Birds, Peter Brook and Jean-Claude Carrière's rich and moving master work based on the poem by Farid ud-Din Attar.

Adapted for the stage by Peter Brook and Jean-Claude Carrière in 1979, Farid ud-Din Attar's 4,500-line poem describes the journey undertaken by the birds of the world to seek their King, the mythical Simorgh-a beautiful and benevolent bird of Persian myth. To find him, the birds must travel over a vast stretch of deserts and valleys. In this journey laced with Sufi parables, the birds explore deep spiritual questions reflecting the individual's search for God. This production of The Conference of the Birds features renderings of the poem into Farsi, spoken and sung to original music by Noah Agruss.

The Conference of the Birds expresses the core concepts of Sufism. Passed down within orders of adepts for centuries in Persia and across the Middle East, Sufism centers on the idea that only God exists-everything else in the universe is a shadow of the divine. Much like the birds of the play, Brook himself led a troupe of international actors (including a young Helen Mirren) on a search for their own enigmatic truth in 1971. Caravanning through the Sahara from Algiers to Nigeria and back, the group stopped at villages to roll out a large carpet and perform devised and improvised work. In these simple performances, the group strove to shed stale Western conventions and discover a more universal type of theatre. The Conference of the Birds, then still in development as primarily a wordless improvisation, served as a centerpiece of this experimental repertoire.

Play: The Conference of the Birds; Playwright: Peter Brook and Jean-Claude Carriere Based on the poem by Farid ud-Din Attar; Director: Buck Busfield; Music: Noah Agruss; Cast: Elisabeth Nunziato as Hoopoe; Ryan Adame as Heron; Nikki Masssound as Dove; Carly Wielstein as Sparrow; Nikhil Shukla as Falcon; Meher Mistry as Exotic Bird; Scenic Designer: Samantha Reno; Lighting; Design: Jerry Montoya; Costumes: Tracy Prybyla

WHEN: Runs August 10-September 6, 2014

SHOW TIMES: Tuesdays & Wednesdays at 7pm; Thursdays at 2pm** & 7pm; Fridays at 7pm; Saturdays at 8pm; Sundays** at 1pm

PREVIEWS: Friday, August 8 at 7 pm & Saturday, August 9 at 8 pm

OPENING: Sunday, August 10, 2014 at 1 pm

WHERE: B Street Theatre B2 Space, 2727 B St., Sacramento

TICKETS: $23-$35*, $5 Student Rush, $15* Preview tickets

TICKETS AND INFORMATION: (916) 443-5300, www.bstreettheatre.org

*Please note this price includes a $5 Facility Fee. For details, please visit bstreettheatre.org/next-stage/fee

** Select performance dates only; please call the Box Office at 916-443-5300 to confirm.

More about B Street Theatre:

B Street Theatre is a non-profit, professional theatre company producing primarily new work for adults, families and children. The two-theatre playhouse on B Street in Midtown Sacramento is home to the Mainstage Series, B3 Series and Family Series, each created to feature intimate, quality theatre for audiences year-round. Recognized as one of Northern California's top professional theatres, B Street Theatre has produced more than 100 new plays, 60 of which are world, national, West Coast or regional premieres.

B Street Theatre was originally founded in 1986 for the purpose of bringing the excitement of live performance to children through the B Street Theatre School Tour. This educational outreach program serves over 200,000 students in Northern California annually.

Other B Street Theatre programs include the B Street Theatre Family Series and Family Series Student Matinees (for school field trips), the B3 Series, B Street Acting Conservatory and Studio for Young People, and the B Street Theatre Internship program for pre-professional/post-college training.

B Street Theatre has produced over 250 professional productions since 1986.

More information at www.bstreettheatre.org.

The mission of B Street Theatre is to promote education and literacy, social interaction, and cultural enrichment by engaging children and adults in the highest quality theatre arts and playwriting.

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