By Humaira
I hope your summer is going well. This spring and summer have been very busy for me. I’ve worked as a cultural advisor on two stage plays and one television show and recently I made my Broadway debut with the stage production of The Kite Runner.
Here is a quick glimpse behind the scenes.
I’ve been involved with this play for twelve years. In 2008, Khaled Hosseini introduced me to Matthew Spangler, the playwright, when he was working on the World Preview of the show at San Jose Rep. This project launched my cultural advisory career which opened the world of theatre and the arts for me.
World Preview of the Kite Runner in 2009 with (from left) Matthew Spangler, David Iran Goldstein, Khaled Hosseini and a much younger me.
Kite Runner stage production at San Jose Rep 2009
As a Cultural Advisor and Script Consultant, the Kite Runner Broadway speaks to me on a personal level. My family immigrated to the U.S. from Afghanistan after the Russian invasion in 1979. Like Baba in the Kite Runner, my parents lost everything – wealth, status, family, friends – when they became nameless refugees in Northern California. Like Amir, the protagonist, I learned to straddle two cultures and balance the tightrope of cultural expectations between my family’s Afghan values and the lure of living an ‘American’ life.
“All your hard work paid off BIG TIME. Honestly it felt like I was either back home or visiting an Afghan family. All the nuances and body language was exceptionally Afghan. ”
The Kite Runner Cast and Creative team - June 2022
At the Kite Runner Broadway Opening
It does seem bittersweet that while the Afghan people are suffering from an economic collapse and the Taliban take over, an Afghan story is going up on the big stage of Broadway. I am deeply saddened by the Afghan people’s continued suffering and as a small gesture of camaraderie, I pay tribute to the fortitude of the Afghan people through my work to bring cultural authenticity to this production.
A very happy me with Director Giles Croft and Associate Director & Creative Coordinator, Damian Sandys in front of Hayes Theater in New York City - June 2022
“These actors are superb. They are authentic. They transport one into another realm of understanding.”
As a company, we’ve worked meticulously to ensure accurate representation of Afghanistan in all aspects of the production such as casting, music, costume, language, body language, the wedding scene, and of course Attan, the national dance of Afghanistan. I’ve been heartened by the number of Afghans who have come out to see the play and were moved by the production. It is a great honor for me to work on this time-honored story and to do it in a way that is respectful and representative of the Afghan people.
Here is some press about the show:
A Chameleon Flies from the ‘Blakclist’ to the ‘Kite Runner’, New York Times
If you are in New York, come out and see the Kite Runner on Broadway written by, Matthew Spangler, based on the novel by Khaled Hosseini and Director, Giles Croft.
Starring:
Amir Arison, Mazin Akar, Barzin Akhavan, Demosthenes Chrysan, Danish Farooqui, Azita Ghanizada, Joe Joseph, Dea Julien, Dariush Kashani, Beejan Land, Amir Malaklou, Christine Mirzayan, Salar Nader, Haris Pervaiz, Alex Purcell, Eric Sirakian, Housghang Touzie, Evan Zes, and Faran Tahir.