Loading ..."Rest Upon the Wind," a play inspired by the life and times of Kahlil Gibran, author of "The Prophet," to showcase in a series of performances in New York on October 3-4, 2015
The theatrical stage play, Rest Upon the Wind, inspired by Gibran’s most famous book, The Prophet, is based on the life and times of Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931). It will be showcased with three shows at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts on October 3-4, 2015. Although the Lebanese poet/painter Kahlil Gibran lived over a hundred years ago, his work is still an inspiration around the world today. Rest Upon the Wind has received major acclaim worldwide. Performances of the play have sold out at London’s West End, and in Liverpool and Dubai to name only a few of the production runs.
The Prophet was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1923. At that time, Gibran lived in Greenwich Village, a few blocks from Washington Square where the play will be performed. Gibran’s writings have been translated in over 44 languages and his most famous book “The Prophet” has reportedly sold more than 120 million copies worldwide. The book is still read and quoted by millions of people around the world today and Penguin Random House recently published a special trade paperback edition. An animated feature film, produced by Salma Hayek and directed by Roger Allers, as well as a soundtrack with songs by Damien Rice, Glen Hansard, Lisa Hannigan and score by Gabriel Yared, accompanied by Yo-Yo Ma, and an Educational Curriculum Guide, produced by Journeys in Film and Participant Media, are all currently in release in the United States. For further information on each of these, please see the links at the end of this release.
Rest Upon the Wind was written by playwright and actor Nadim Sawalha. It is being directed by Simón A. Hanukai and is being produced for the first time in the United States by Ali Matar and William Nix. The play sheds light on the personal life of one of the most influential icons of our time. “Following the great success of our previous runs of the play in the United Kingdom and the Middle East, we are proud to bring the show to New York,” said Matar and Nix. “Sawalha’s powerful script reveals the struggle, conflict and passions surrounding Gibran and provides insight into the poet’s environment and the people who had the strongest impact on his life–particularly the strong female figures of Mary Haskell, his mentor, and Miryanna, his sister, who cared for him all his life.”
The play celebrates the Arab sense of humour and family warmth through the relationship of Gibran and his sister Miryanna as they struggle to survive in America and culminates in a mix of drama, comedy and a profound journey of self-discovery.
Matar and Nix plan to stage the show nationally in the United States and are also engaged in talks with event organizers, theatre bookers and owners in Latin America, Canada and other countries with the same goal in mind. “Gibran’s poetry and literature has become a tapestry of spiritual guidance the world over and has been quoted by statesmen and cultural icons everywhere. It is a true honour for us to bring his story to people who have sought his wisdom for decades,” explain Matar and Nix. “We believe that the production is a ‘must see’, not only for Gibran fans, but for all those who are on their own spiritual journeys.”
To purccase tickets: http://nyuskirball.org/calendar/restuponthewind