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Writer: Lisa Resnick
Designer: Carla Badaracco
Client: The Kennedy Center
It is a practice as old as time itself — telling stories that teach and entertain. Picture life centuries ago when stories told out loud carried news, history, amusement, and customs from village to village. Some stories are based on real events, some imagined. Some are tales about animals, heroes, tricksters, and inventions. Others are about love.
But let’s be clear here: Don’t expect someone sitting on a wooden stool, telling you a story. This is story theater. There will be actors, singing, dancing, costumes, and action. Listen carefully. You will hear new ideas and viewpoints. Watch carefully. You will see people and places unfamiliar to you. Use your imagination. Become part of the story.
Meet the Hakawati
Hakawati is the Arabic word for storyteller. The hakawati typically carries his bag full of simple props and costume pieces in one hand and a musical instrument in another. He tells his tale from memory, improvises, or recites poetry. He jokes with his audience or even stops, comments on the story, and then begins again. In Walking the Winds: Arabian Tales, a character called Abu Abdallah Ibn Battutah serves as the hakawati. He is named and modeled after a historic traveler from Morocco.
Just the Facts Please
Many historians consider Ibn Battutah to be the world’s first known travel writer. In 1325, when he was just 21 years old, he set out from his home in Tangier, Morocco, to see the world. His fantastic 75,000-mile, 29-year journey led him throughout the entire Arab world, including Spain, East Africa, India, and even China. His written observations give us important insights into the lives, accomplishments, and culture of long ago Arab peoples.
First Stop: The Marketplace
See the gold bracelets. Smell the spices. Feel the silks. Arabian marketplaces or souks are one of the many places where storytellers tell their tales. One of the most famous marketplaces is Souk Ukaz near Mecca (a city in modern-day Saudi Arabia). Each year, poets would gather there to compete. Judges chose a winning poem, which was then written in gold letters and displayed.
During the performance, the hakawati will welcome you to our own Souk Ukaz, a magical “Souk of Dreams.” But instead of rugs, herbs, and poetry contests, our Souk Ukaz will offer beautiful words, remarkable ideas, and incredible stories.
We’re Off!
Time to open this Cuesheet and map out your journey. Read about some of the stories you will see performed. Visit a few of the region’s famous sights. “Assalamu alaykim.” That’s a greeting used in the Arab world. It means, “Peace be upon you.”