Cast Announced for San Jose Rep's World Premiere of THE KITE RUNNER

San Jose Repertory Theatre prepares to make history with the world premiere of the stage adaptation of Khaled Hosseini's international best-selling novel, The Kite Runner - a haunting story of friendship and redemption in modern Afghanistan. Adapted by Bay Area resident Matthew Spangler and directed by David Ira Goldstein, artistic director of the Arizona Theatre Company, The Kite Runner runs from March 21-April 19, 2009 at the San Jose Repertory Theatre, 101 Paseo de San Antonio in downtown San Jose. Press Opening is March 27 at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets are available at the San Jose Rep Box Office at 101 Paseo de San Antonio or can be purchased online at www.SJRep.com or by calling (408) 367-7255.

The Kite Runner is a tale told through the lives of two boys growing up in Kabul in the same household, but in two starkly different worlds. Amir is the son of a wealthy yet emotionally distant businessman, while Hassan is the son of Amir's father's servant, a shunned ethnic minority. Despite the disparity in social positions, the two grow up inseparable until Amir and his father flee the country during the Soviet invasion. Years later, Amir returns to Afghanistan to seek out his old friend and atone for his youthful cowardice. But fate, global politics and historical tragedy threaten Amir's ability to make amends for his past.

"The characters in The Kite Runner all struggle with the most basic of human emotions: love, envy, fear, joy and guilt," observes Director David Ira Goldstein. "In Amir's struggles, we all recognize our own failings, and in his redemption, we discover a hopeful way forward."

"Its epic structure - spanning the continents and nearly 30 years - its powerful moments of high drama and its engaging characters make this an ideal story for live performance," states Playwright Matthew Spangler. "I fell in love with the book and knew right away that it would make an excellent play."

Spangler's adaptation of The Kite Runner highlights the story of one nation's struggle to triumph over the forces of violence - forces that continue to threaten Afghanistan. With the world's attention once again focusing on Afghanistan, the production is as relevant today as when the book was first published in 2003. The novel enjoyed international success, was made into a thought-provoking movie and promises to create a sensation on the stage.

"When I wrote this book, I thought it would find its niche, most likely among readers who had an interest in the Middle East and Central Asia. I never expected this story to make the impact that it did," states Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner. "Over the years, the story has continually confounded my expectations and expanded its readership. Again, I think it had to do with the universality of the themes. No matter where you are born, what language you speak or what religion you practice, there are human experiences that bind us all, and The Kite Runner speaks to those experiences."

Matthew Spangler is an assistant professor of Performance Studies in the departments of Theatre Arts and Communication Studies at San José State University. He has adapted more than 30 novels and short stories for productions throughout the U.S., France, England and Ireland.

David Ira Goldstein is the artistic director at the Arizona Theatre Company and directed the San Jose Rep's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. As the artistic director of the Southwest's largest professional theatre, Goldstein has directed more than 35 productions ranging from classics to new plays to musicals, including the world premieres of Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, Inventing van Gogh, Rocket Man, Private Eyes, Over the Moon and Dracula by Steven Dietz, One Crazy Day by Roger Downy and For Better or Worse by Geoff Hoyle.

THE CAST

The Kite Runner's outstanding cast features actors from both sides of the country, including Barzin Akhavan (Amir), Demosthenes Chrysan (General Taheri), Gregor Paslawsky (Rahim Khan) and James Saba (Ali), all of New York City, and Thamos Fiscelle (Baba) of Los Angeles. Among the Bay Area talent are Craig Piaget (Young Amir), Lowell Abellon (Young Hassan), Rinabeth Apostol (Soraya) and Adam Yazbeck (Assef). The ensemble cast includes Zarif Kabier Sadiqi, Wahab Shayek, and Lani Carissa Wong. The cast is joined on stage by gifted Tabla player, Salar Nader.

CREATIVE TEAM

The creative team includes Vicki Smith (Set Designer); Kish Finnegan (Costume Designer); David Lee Cuthbert (Lighting Designer) and Scott Edwards (Sound Designer). The stage manager is Laxmi Kumaran.

The world premiere production of The Kite Runner is presented by Hitachi Data Systems, co-sponsors are NBC 11 Bay Area and the San Jose Mercury News, the participating sponsor is SanDisk, and it's supported, in part, by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San Jose.

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