Angamazad

A Story of the Arabian Nights

The Fox & Beggar Theater invites you to step into the pages of an ancient story book. Here, you will find fairies and djinn. You will find rituals of grieving, and of enduring. You will find mad poets and ancient Shaikhs; circus tricks and magic doors; the ghost dances of dead brides and the desert songs of bird maidens. Above all, you will find a story about love.

For this is a story about love… and it begins with a King.

Adapted from The 1,001 Arabian Nights, “Angamazad” fuses musical theater, spoken word, acrobatics, contemporary dance, cirque nouveau, and lavish artwork into a sensually stunning journey. Using the story of Hasan of Basra as its framework, "Angamazad" takes viewers into a labyrinth of storytelling in which the tellers eventually become the told.

Written and Directed by Heather Beckett

Created by Nat Allister and Heather Beckett

Original Score and Arrangements by Mr. Moo

Original Songs by Mr. Moo, Marya Stark, & Heather Beckett

Additional Studio Recordings by Bobak Solehi

Guest Choreography by Alicia Cutaia, Aaron Wheeler-Kay, & Thomas Sommo

Rigging & Aerial Choreography by Heidi Lajos & Thomas Sommo
Technical Direction by Nat Allister

Costume Design by Carrie Anne Huneycutt

Set Design by Ghost Stag Productions

Prop Design by Al’Lowe

Light Direction by Doug Layon

Masks & Headdresses by Heather Beckett, Amira Sereia, Meg Harris, & Robi Arce

Stage Management by Heidi Lajos

Stagehand Work by Leif Schmit, Ro'i Rose, & Estanislado Saavedra

CAST

Amira Sereia is a tiny woodland Mer-faerie from the coast of Southeast Alaska. She relocated to Portland a few years ago to study dance and art. Her dance style is a fierce gooey fusion of Tribal Bellydance, Liquid dance, Pop n Lock, Ritual Theater, Waacking, Contortion, and Aerial Hoop. She's had a passion for dance and movement for as long as she can remember and began Belly dancing at the age of eight. She also has a deep artistic background as a Painter, Makeup Artist and Costume Designer.

Allie Thomas is a jocund vaudevillian witch from central Vermont. Her time is spent performing and producing private and public entertainment with Portland troupe Circus Luminescence. Aside from her active participation in the thriving northwest performance and art community, she is also a professional tarot reader, a distributor of BioGlitz biodegradable cosmetic glitter, and a volunteer at the Pagan chapel services within a local women's prison.

Bevin Victoria is an actress, dancer, singer and choreographer. She grew up in San Francisco, studying musical theatre and dance extensively before taking a break to pursue competitive gymnastics and martial arts. She now serves as director/choreographer of Hybrid Fusion Dance Company, as well as a member in the dance/performance companies Baksana and Allegro, and has been known to shred as a vocalist and dancer with Portland's own Sepiatonic. Outside of being part of the amazing PNW performing

Jared "Ashi" Dancler is a tall glass of Schoharie Creek water, come trickling west after stateside rambles, cooking for activists & flooded out families by stormy Sandy. Forever in the sandbox, he aims to play, plant, tend, dance, pray we hold hands to our heart's integrity, and celebrate our very human vulnerability. Ashi lives happily in southeast Portland, as a farmer, nanny & perpetual pupil.

Kamyar Jahan is an actor and model living in Portland. He’s played on TV shows such as Grimm, Portlandia, and Leverage, as well as Indie films such as C.O.G. This is Kamyar's first role on stage.

Marcela Bercovici is a self-taught Guatemalan contortionist, coach and model who recently relocated to the NW from northern Italy. She is an experienced linguist with a background in International Relations and a passionate circus artist. She spends her time with her husband, their three cats and their Chihuahua.

Marya Stark is an award winning music producer and performer. She is a muse steeped in the bardic arts of storytelling, cinematic song weaving, ecstatic singing, and transformational mentorship. She is a chaser of waterfalls, a wild hearted dancer of star light, and a connoisseur of nuance. She is a guardian of the gates of mystery, and is passionate about working with women to develop their unique vocal signatures and songs of the womb.

Robi is a mime, clown, and physical theatre poet, holding an MFA in Ensemble-Based Physical Theatre from Dell'Arte International. Robi has performed, toured, and lead workshops in Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. His work is diverse and fueled by social justice and change. His passion is to create a physical, dynamic and poetic theatre that connects with people as sports connect with the fans.

Taffida Urban has been performing theater and musical performance for over 20 years in the Colorado Springs area. This will be her debut performance in Oregon. Her love of music, all things art, her soul family, partner Kyle, and sweet baby girl Kohenne are what drives her to perform with passion, love and light.

Tara Hershberger is an actor, musician, director and writer. She has performed with Portland Actor's Ensemble, Original Practice Shakespeare Festival, Milagro Theatre, Fuse Theatre Ensemble and others. Her play In Toxic was produced during Fertile Ground, 2016. Tara is the Studio Theater Director at St. Mary's Academy and has taught and directed at the Northwest Children's Theater, and Magik Theatre, of San Antonio, TX. She has a Masters degree in Theatre Arts with a focus in playwriting.

Thomas Sommo is a dancer, acrobat, clown, and fire performer, and has been performing, learning, and creating new works for almost ten years. He has toured internationally with Pilobolus Dance Theatre, as well as co-founded local Austin troupes Bodystrokes and Cirque Limerance. He has toured nationally and performed multiple times at the American Dance Festival.

Uriah Boyd is a mover and musician. She's been studying dance for over ten years, and her movement is inspired by improvisation, modern dance, and dances of the African diaspora. Sonically, she is influenced by R&B, house, jazz and folk music. Uriah performs with many Portland companies and collectives, including Black Sun, Rejoice! Diaspora Dance Theater, and House of Aquarius. She spends most of her time with plants and children- dancing, writing, or singing.