Target Margin’s latest production, PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE GIRL, based on various translation / transmissions of The Thousand and One Nights opens March 29 and runs until April 21. During the run we are asking five questions to each of our five actors. WHO SHOULD WE PAY ATTENTION TO?
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Prior to working on PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE GIRL, how were you first introduced to the tales of The Thousand and One Nights? How has working on TMT’s production, changed your understanding and/or relationship to the tales?
Hey! So I actually became exposed to the Nights in college. I majored in Japanese Language, Literature, and Culture; with a Certificate in East Asian Studies. (A Certificate at my alma mater required more credits than a minor, but fewer than a major.) Course offerings for my certificate included not only Japan, China, and Korea; but other countries on the Asian continent, including Iran and even Russia. It’s funny, we’ve been using “Silk Road” to describe the region in which the stories originated. In college, even though my focus was Japan, I was occasionally able to study the history, literature, and art of other cultures. For example, I did an entire course on the Journey to the West, one of the four classic sagas of Chinese literature. Anyway, all that’s to say, I was able to read and study the nights as well! I had only ever read it in bits and pieces, though.
One of the many things The Nights are about is the power of storytelling. As a half Lebanese / half Puerto Rican identifying artist, what has been the most challenging part of inhabiting and telling these tales? The most rewarding?
It’s really rewarding to bring these stories to light in a way that doesn’t fetishize their “exotic” nature. There is such a rich history of storytelling in both cultures, but I’m also always conscious of how those cultures are portrayed on stage. Even when I don’t want to be, I have to be. There was a lot of back and forth during the rehearsal process because we’d use various translations of the text, some of which felt more like they were voyeuristic and Orientalist than others. This is particularly true of the Burton translation, and especially his footnotes. At times they were very helpful, but at times they felt like they were patronizing the culture Burton was seeking to profit from. Ultimately, I think we settled on something that represents stories within stories and the epic nature of the Nights without falling onto old tropes about what a mythical Middle East would have been.
In five words or less, describe PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE GIRL.
A ritual, not a play.
This is TMT’s first production in our new performance space, THE DOXSEE, in Sunset Park. What’s been unique about the approach to creating the play? Has the new space opened up creative opportunities? If so, how?
Wow, it’s been fascinating and fun to just run wild in this essentially raw space. I wish people could see just how much content we created for the show, a lot of which didn’t make the final cut. In terms of staging it, nothing was off-limits. We even staged some scenes in the bathroom! It’s freeing to just have this chaotic good energy in the space every day and do whatever you can imagine. The space definitely lends itself to that, and some of that energy makes its way into the show too.
What’s important to you now? About the show, about life, about anything.
Well, I just moved to Brooklyn from Baltimore, so I’ve been trying to get situated. It’s been great having a show to work on now that I’m here. I’m trying to balance living in the moment and enjoying this new process while trying to figure out what happens next. I’ve never been involved in devising a piece, so I’m wondering how I can use some of the things we did in rehearsal in my own writing. Also, I feel like you get so deep into the text that you start to wonder what it looks like to people who have less of a stake in it. I’m so excited for the show to open and find out what people think! I hope all the love and energy we put into it comes out on the other side.
Samy El-Noury is an actor, aerialist, pianist, and puppeteer from Baltimore, MD. In addition to performing, he works as a teaching artist for the Smithsonian Discovery Theater and the Young Playwright’s Theater; and is an activist and public speaker on the leadership team for the Baltimore Transgender Alliance. He has worked with various organizations on peer support, youth mentorship, and outreach for LGBTQ-identified individuals. Recent acting credits include The Body Politic at NYMF, Love & Information at Forum Theatre, Swallow at Inis Nua Theatre, and Transparent (S4 E3/E7). www.samyelnoury.com