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Target Margin (TM): P*SSYC*CK KNOW NOTHING has been explained in so many different ways. From your own perspective (aka the perspective of someone who has been working with the material over the past few months) how would you explain it?
Ali Andre Ali (AA): P*SSYC*CK KNOW NOTHING is adapted from “The Story of the Porter and the Three Sisters” within the 1001 Nights. That story actually turns out to be many stories about various people and the journeys that bring them all together one fateful night at the house of the three sisters in the city of Baghdad. Our adaptation (for now) focuses on that one night and the exciting, fun, and bizarre events that take place at the sisters’ house.
TM: What drew you to a piece like P*SSYC*CK KNOW NOTHING?
AA: I’ve been a fan of Target Margin’s work for a while and had known some of the artists working on the various adaptions of 1001 Nights tales over the last few years. Last year I saw that they were looking for new actors to join them and luckily they invited me into the process after I auditioned. These stories come from a wide range of places in the world but are most associated with the Middle East. As an actor of Middle Eastern descent, I’ve always been curious to know more of these stories and am thrilled to be able to dive into them theatrically.
TM: How does P*SSYC*CK KNOW NOTHING fit within the telling of “The One Thousand and One Nights”? Were you familiar with the work beforehand or is this a fresh start for you with these stories?
AA: I actually wasn’t very familiar with the larger frame story of the 1001 Nights of Shahrazad and the king until pretty recently. Growing up I had heard or seen some of the more popular tales in various forms (and was also accustomed to people calling me Ali Baba), but besides that I had never actually read the text, which makes it extra exciting to work on! I wasn’t familiar with “The Story of the Porter and the Three Sisters” before this. Like I mentioned earlier, the story contains many stories within it, so this one takes place over numerous “nights” within the larger text.
TM: What are you most excited for audiences to see with this new adaptation of the Silk Road stories?
AA: I’m really excited for people to get a completely new perspective on what kind of story the 1001 Nights can contain. There’s so much in this one and it’s really fun to dive into!
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Ali Andre Ali is a Palestinian/Irish-American actor and musician based in New York. As an actor he has worked with numerous New York based companies including Noor Theatre, The Lark, The International WOW Company and Poetic Theater Productions among others. Some of his recent credits include 10,000 Balconies (TheatreSquared), Eh Dah? Questions for my Father (Next Door @NYTW), and American Dreams (Cleveland Public Theatre). His TV credits include “Ramy” and “Dead on Arrival.” As a musician he writes and performs with his music duo fajjr+ali. Their debut EP eleven90 was released in 2019 and is available on all major streaming platforms. www.aliandreali.comwww.aliandreali.comwww.aliandreali.com. | @aliandreali