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The Kite Runner Play Guide - Actors Theatre of Louisville

The Kite Runner Play Guide - Actors Theatre of Louisville

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About the authorkhaled hosseiniIn many ways, the life <strong>of</strong> Amir and the events portrayed in <strong>The</strong><strong>Kite</strong> <strong>Runner</strong>, reflect author Khaled Hosseini’s own personal story.He was born on March 4th, 1965 in Kabul where <strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> <strong>Runner</strong>begins. Like the protagonist Amir, Hosseini and his four youngersiblings enjoyed a peaceful childhood in the affluent Wazir AkbarKhan neighborhood in the Afghan capital city where kite fightingis a local passion, much like basketball or football here in theUnited States. Because <strong>of</strong> his father’s career as a diplomat forthe Afghan Foreign Ministry, the family had to move away fromAfghanistan to Tehran, and later Paris. It was while the Hosseinifamily was living abroad that the PDPA (the People’s DemocraticParty <strong>of</strong> Afghanistan) violently took control <strong>of</strong> the governmentin 1978, followed by the Soviet invasion. Instead <strong>of</strong> returning tothe war-torn country, the Hosseini family resettled in San José,California, among a growing Afghan refugee population.Like Baba and Amir, Hosseini’s family had very little when theycame to the United States, despite their wealth and status backin Afghanistan. His father, the former diplomat, worked on anassembly line, while his mother, a former teacher <strong>of</strong> history andFarsi, worked as a waitress at a Denny’s. Taking an examplefrom his hardworking parents, Hosseini applied himself to hisstudies, graduating from high school, college, and medical school,eventually becoming a doctor. However, he had always lovedreading and writing, and was first inspired to try writing novelsafter reading John Steinbeck’s <strong>The</strong> Grapes <strong>of</strong> Wrath in his highschool English class. He wrote the draft for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> <strong>Runner</strong> in theearly morning hours before working longs shifts at Cedars-SinaiMedical Center in Los Angeles. <strong>The</strong> book was published in 2003and quickly became a best-seller; its themes <strong>of</strong> friendship andredemption resonated with readers. While there are many parallelsbetween Hosseini’s and Amir’s lives as far as the setting and thehistorical events in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> <strong>Runner</strong>, Hosseini says that the plotitself is not autobiographical.Hosseini continues to write (A Thousand Splendid Suns, 2007), andprovides humanitarian aid to Afghanistan through <strong>The</strong> KhaledHosseini Foundation. He organized the Foundation after a trip toAfghanistan in 2007 as a Goodwill Envoy for the United NationsHigher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). It had been thirtyKhaled Hosseini, author <strong>of</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> <strong>Runner</strong>years since the author had left his native country. Although hewrote a graphic depiction <strong>of</strong> modern-day Afghanistan in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong><strong>Runner</strong>, he said after seeing the devastation first-hand he realizedthe situation was worse than what he had imagined. Hosseinicurrently lives in northern California with his wife and twochildren.About the adaptorMatthew SpanglerMatthew Spangler adapted the script for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> <strong>Runner</strong> from Khaled Hosseini’s novel.He is an Assistant Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Performance Studies at San Jose State University, where heteaches courses on adaptation. Previous works include a one-actor show <strong>of</strong> James Joyce’snovel, Dubliners, as well as an adaptation using several short stories by Ernest Hemingway.He also wrote a music-theatre adaptation, Mozart!, based on the composer’s letters. Hereceived his B.A. in Performance Studies from Northwestern University, and later a Ph.D. in Performance Studies from the University <strong>of</strong> North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is amember <strong>of</strong> the Dramatists Guild <strong>of</strong> America.Did you know?<strong>Actors</strong> <strong>The</strong>atre is <strong>of</strong>fering a newhow-to-adapt playwriting residency.Adaptation is a ten-session residencyguiding fifth-grade classroomsthrough the process <strong>of</strong> turning amodern classic book into a play.For more information contact us ateducation@actorstheatre.org4


Afghanistan Timeline6 th Century BCE<strong>The</strong> Persians conquer ancientAfghanistan and introduce the Farsi/Dari language as well as epic poetry.Although <strong>The</strong> Shahnameh, the Persianpoem that Amir reads to Hassan,was not written until 1000 CE, itstems from the storytelling traditionestablished in this era.330 BCEAlexander the Great,in his conquest <strong>of</strong> thePersian Empire, invadesancient Afghanistan onhis way to the HinduKush mountains andIndia. Hellenistic(Greek) architectureis still found in somenorthern cities likeMazar-i-Sharif.652 CE<strong>The</strong> Arab Conquest <strong>of</strong> the regionestablishes Islam as the dominantreligion.1st Century CEAfghan cities are stops alongthe Silk Road, a trade routethat reached from China to theMediterranean. Goods fromall over the known world travelthrough and are exchanged inAfghanistan.This mosque is a Muslim place <strong>of</strong> worship.Photo by Steve Evans1989<strong>The</strong> Soviets withdraw fromAfghanistan after a decade-longconflict that leaves the countrydevastated.1979<strong>The</strong> PDPA abolishment <strong>of</strong>traditional Muslim customsinspires Mujahideenresistance groups to opposethe government. Fearingthey will be overthrown,the PDPA allows theSoviet Union to invadeAfghanistan to maintainCommunist dominance.1992<strong>The</strong> PDPA government collapsesand the country plunges into civilwar as rival Mujahideen factionsvie for control <strong>of</strong> the country. 1996<strong>The</strong> Talibanestablishes atheocracy basedon fundamentalistIslam.Under Taliban rule, women could be violently punished if theydid not wear the burqua.


18 th Century<strong>The</strong> Durrani Empire, foundedand led by Pashtun tribal leaders,establishes Kabul as the capitaland unites many regions into amodern Afghan state.1220 CEGenghis Khan’s Mongol armyinvades Afghanistan as itsraids travel westward from theMongolian homeland in the east.At its height, the Mongol Empirestreches from the Sea <strong>of</strong> Japan tothe Danube River in Europe.19 th CenturyFearing thatAfghanistan wouldinvade their colony,India, the British adopta containment policytowards the country thatresults in frequent warsand occupations.1893<strong>The</strong> Durand Line Treaty defines theboundaries between Afghanistanand British-controlled India (whichthen includes Pakistan). Thismountainous location serves asthe basis for the modern Afghan-Pakistani border and makespolicing movement between the twocountries difficult.1978In the Saur Revolution, thecommunist People’s Democratic Party<strong>of</strong> Afghanistan (PDPA) violentlyoverthrows the Daoud government,killing the prime minister.1973King Zahir’s cousin,Mohammad Daoud Khan, stagesa bloodless coup while the kingis abroad in Italy and declaresAfghanistan a republic.1946Kabul University becomesoperational as the first moderninstitution for higher education inAfghanistan and includes facultiesin Law, Agriculture, IslamicStudies, Literature, Economicsand Pharmacology.<strong>The</strong> flag <strong>of</strong> the People’s Democratic Party <strong>of</strong> Afghanistan2001Due to the Taliban’s refusal to handover Al-Qaeda operatives responsiblefor the September 11 th attacks onthe World Trade Center in NewYork City, the U.S. launches aninvasion <strong>of</strong> Afghanistan to oustthe Taliban and capture Al-Qaedaleaders. Hamid Karzai is selected asthe transitional leader and eventuallyis elected President <strong>of</strong> Afghanistan.<strong>The</strong> war in Afghanistan continuestoday and is now the longestrunningwar in U.S. history.2010Large deposits <strong>of</strong> minerals in Afghanistan,including lithium and copper, are estimatedto be worth nearly a trillion dollars. Whilethe full effects <strong>of</strong> this development remainto be seen, this could potentially transformthe Afghan economy and the country’sstanding in international politics.9


Writing PortfolioPERSONAL<strong>The</strong> action <strong>of</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> <strong>Runner</strong> is centeredon Amir’s need to atone for his betrayal <strong>of</strong>Hassan. Write a personal narrative about atime you failed or wronged a friend. Whatwere the circumstances? Why did you doit? Did you seek forgiveness? What did youlearn from this experience? Now write fromyour friend’s perspective. Try to imaginethe same situation from their point <strong>of</strong> view.TRANSACTIVEWrite a review <strong>of</strong> the performance <strong>of</strong> <strong>The</strong><strong>Kite</strong> <strong>Runner</strong> that you saw at <strong>Actors</strong> <strong>The</strong>atre<strong>of</strong> <strong>Louisville</strong>. Describe what it was like towatch the play, but be sure to write morethan just the plot <strong>of</strong> the play. Think abouthow the play tells the story. Make theexperience come alive for the reader. Uselots <strong>of</strong> sensory details when describing theplay’s elements, like the costumes, lights,props, and music. Also consider how theactors delivered their lines, and how thedirector realized the vision <strong>of</strong> the play. Letthe reader decide for themselves if the playis worth seeing.LITERARY<strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> <strong>Runner</strong> is a work <strong>of</strong> fiction thatreferences actual historical events, likethe Soviet occupation <strong>of</strong> Afghanistan andthe rise <strong>of</strong> the Taliban. Research a majorpolitical upheaval and/or war and write afictional short story that heavily features themain characters and plot pointsDiscussion QuestionsPre-Show Questions1. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> <strong>Runner</strong> is an adaptation <strong>of</strong> a novel. Can you think<strong>of</strong> other works that have been adapted from a book into a stageor film production? What about movies that have become plays?Why do you think it happens so <strong>of</strong>ten? What are the challenges <strong>of</strong>adaptation? What other books or movies do you think would makea good play? Which ones do you think would not translate verywell on stage?2. In <strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> <strong>Runner</strong>, the fact that Amir and Hassan are <strong>of</strong>different ethnic and religious backgrounds (Pashtun Sunni andHazara Shia) poses obstacles for their friendship. Can you think <strong>of</strong>example <strong>of</strong> other places and/or time periods in which societies haveresisted friendships between different ethnicities? Do you think thatsuch resistance exists in the United States today? Why or why not?Post-Show Questions1. Were you surprised by how Afghanistan and Afghans wereportrayed in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> <strong>Runner</strong>? Did the play change your view <strong>of</strong>Afghanistan? How? Did you learn something new about thecountry and the people?2. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> <strong>Runner</strong> explores the themes <strong>of</strong> forgiveness andredemption. Could you relate to Amir? Have you ever neededforgiveness from a friend? How did you go about asking your friendto forgive you? Were you successful? Why or why not?3. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> <strong>Runner</strong> portrays Amir and his father immigrating tothe United States. Is there an immigrant story in your own family?Did your family ever move from one location to another? Whatwere some <strong>of</strong> the challenges that you or your family faced due tothis move or immigration?12


Bridgeworkbuilding connections between stage and classroom<strong>The</strong> following exercises combine creative drama, theatre concepts and core content to connect thetheatre experience with drama activities in your classroom.By exploring drama as a mode <strong>of</strong> learning, students strengthen skills for creative problem solving, imagination and critical thinking.AT YOUR DESK ActivitiesA kite shop in Northern IndiaFrom Page to StageTake two to three pagesfrom your favorite bookand rewrite them as pagesin the script <strong>of</strong> a stageadaptation. What arethings that a playwrightmust deal with that wouldnot have concerned thenovelist? Are there thingsin books that are notpossible on stage? Arethere moments in booksthat would be boringin front <strong>of</strong> an audience,like a narrator tellingus everything instead<strong>of</strong> showing it? Was thisprocess easier or harderthan you thought? Why? Be sure to include the technical elements<strong>of</strong> theatre in the your stage directions, like what kind <strong>of</strong> costumethe characters are wearing or what the lighting is like on stage.Telling Your Story Through <strong>Kite</strong> Design<strong>The</strong> kite fighting depicted in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> <strong>Runner</strong>, like other popularsports including basketball and football, is an activity that engagesthe entire community—everyone watches the competition. Notonly does kite fighting hold importance in the community, but alsowithin the family <strong>of</strong> Amir and Baba and the friendship betweenAmir and Hassan. Ultimately, it is a way Amir defines his selfworth.Create a rhombus kite divided into 4 sections. Decorate onesection to reflect your community, another for your family, anothersection for your friends, and the final section for yourself.Map <strong>of</strong> AfghanistanON YOUR FEET ActivitiesScene Improv<strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> <strong>Runner</strong> depicts the Afghan community and includesmany large group scenes, like the kite fighting competition, theflea market, and the wedding. Three students start and improvisea scene in one <strong>of</strong> these three locations. <strong>The</strong>n other students in theclass gradually incorporate themselves as characters in this setting,until the entire class is involved with creating this world. Try it oncewith speaking and then pick another location and create the scenesilently. What changed when you couldn’t speak?High Flying<strong>Kite</strong> fighting is a popular pastime in Kabul. Construct your ownkite using the instructions from bigwindkites.com/20kids andthen fly it. Was it easier or harder than you thought to make andfly the kite?CROSS-CURRICULARCONNECTIONsHistoryIn recent decades, many Afghans have immigrated to othercountries due to war and political unrest. Research Afghanemigration and create a table with the information that you find.GeographyTake the information you found out about the Afghan emigrationand represent it visually on a world map by drawing arrows fromAfghanistan to the other countries, writing the number abovethe arrow. Write a paragraph about what trends you observe frommapping it out. Which regions have the most Afghan immigrants?Why do you think that is?LiteratureIn the play, Amir reads to Hassan passages from <strong>The</strong> Shahnameh,a Persian epic poem about the kings <strong>of</strong> ancient Persia and the warsthey fought. Hassan loved the epic poem so much that he namedhis son, Sohrab, after one <strong>of</strong> the main characters. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> <strong>Runner</strong>itself contains epic elements by spanning nearly 30 years, andlocales as distant as Pakistan and San José, Calif., and by exploringthemes <strong>of</strong> betrayal and redemption. Research some conventions <strong>of</strong>epic poetry and write one short chapter in an epic poem about yourdaily life in school. Topics can be as diverse as trying to open ajammed locker to the terror that comes with a pop quiz!13


If You Liked <strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> <strong>Runner</strong>...BooksAfghanistan: A Short History <strong>of</strong> its People and Politics by Martin EwansCome Back to Afghanistan: A California Teenager’s Story by Said Hyder Akbar & Susan BurtonA Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled HosseiniWest <strong>of</strong> Kabul, East <strong>of</strong> New York: An Afghan American Story by Tamim AnsaryFilmCharlie Wilson’s War (2007) dir. Mike Nichols<strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> <strong>Runner</strong> (2007) dir. Marc ForsterAfghan Star (2009) dir. Havana MarkingOn the WebAfghanCooking.net — Humaira Ghilzai’s Afghan food blogWorks CitedBazell, Jennifer et al. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> <strong>Runner</strong> <strong>Play</strong> <strong>Guide</strong>. Phoenix: Arizona <strong>The</strong>atre Company, 2009.Print.Clark, Anthony. Personal Interview. 18 June 2010.Crider, Jonathan. “About Khaled Hosseini,” Preview: News, Notes and Next from Arizona<strong>The</strong>atre Company. 23. 1 (2009). Web.---. “An Interview with Matthew Spangler,” Preview: News, Notes and Next from Arizona<strong>The</strong>atre Company. 23. 1 (2009). Web.Emandi, Hafizullah. Culture and Customs <strong>of</strong> Afghanistan. Wesport, CT: Greenwood Press,2005. Print.Ghilzai, Humaira. Personal Interview. 14 June 2010.Hosseini, Khaled. Interview by Academy <strong>of</strong> Achievement. Academy <strong>of</strong> Achievement. 2008.Web. 6 June 2010.Huey, Aaron. “<strong>The</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> Maker.” Time.com. Time. 22 Feb 2007. Web. 21 June 2010.Magnus, Ralph H. and Eden Naby. Afghanistan: Mullah, Marx and Mujahid. Boulder, CO:Westview Press, 2002. Print.Phinney, Eric. “Instruments in Depth: Tabla: Drums <strong>of</strong> North India.” Bloomingdale School <strong>of</strong>Music. Bloomingdale School <strong>of</strong> Music, n.d. Web. 21 June 2010.Poldeco, Grant. “Artistry In <strong>The</strong> Air—<strong>Kite</strong> Flying Is Taken To New Heights InAfghanistan.” Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty. Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty. 15 Nov.2002. Web. 21 June 2010.14


GLOSSARYAfghan speech is a mosaic <strong>of</strong> many languages, the most dominant being Dari, the Afghan variant <strong>of</strong> Farsi (Persian) and Pashto, thelanguage <strong>of</strong> the Pashtun ethnic group. As a Muslim country, many Arabic terms are also used in Afghanistan.AGHAa Dari term for nobleman or commander,though it is used in daily language like“Mister.”ALLAH-U-AKBARan Arabic phrase meaning “God is great.”BACHEMa Dari term <strong>of</strong> affection meaning “mychild.”BASArabic for “enough.”<strong>Kite</strong> Fighting<strong>Kite</strong> fighting, a sport practicedin nations around the globe,is played in large tournamentswhere competitors eliminatetheir opponents to be the lastkite in the sky. To do this, kitestrings are coated with manja, amixture <strong>of</strong> broken glass, glue, andsometimes metal scraps that coatthe kite string, allowing the deftflyer to cut the strings <strong>of</strong> otherkites and send them falling to theground. <strong>Kite</strong> fighting tournamentsin Afghanistan are popularparticularly in the winter.Kids participating in <strong>Kite</strong> Fighting. Photo byHumaira GhilzaiBINI PUCHUQa derogatory term for a Hazara personmeaning “flat-nose.”BOBORESHa Dari phrase meaning “cut him,” inreference to kite flying.JANadded to the end <strong>of</strong> a name and used as aterm <strong>of</strong> endearment.KAKA-JANliterally, beloved uncle. Used as a term <strong>of</strong>respect for an older man.KALASHNIKOVRussian assault rifle, also known as AK-47KHODA HAFEZa Dari phrase for saying goodbye, literally“God keep you safe.”MUJADIHEENan Arabic term for a group <strong>of</strong> Muslimsengaged in conflict or war. During theSoviet occupation <strong>of</strong> Afghanistan, itreferred to the loose association <strong>of</strong> groupsreacting against the communist suppression<strong>of</strong> traditional Muslim customs.MULLAHa term <strong>of</strong> Persian origin for a Muslim maneducated in Islamic theology and sacredlaw.SAHIBan Arabic term meaning “friend,” but isused like the title “Sir”.SALAAMan Arabic greeting for “Hello.”Tabla<strong>The</strong> tabla is a common instrumentin South Asian music, particularly inAfghanistan, Pakistan, and NorthernIndia. It consists <strong>of</strong> two drums thatare played in tandem: a larger, metaldrum for bass notes called bayan anda smaller, wooden drum for highernotes called dayan. <strong>The</strong> tabla is achallenging instrument to play, withcomplex rhythm patterns and fingerand wrist movements that take yearsto master. Tablas usually accompanyother instruments or vocalists—soloperformance is a relatively recentphenomenon, developing in the lasthundred years or so.Example <strong>of</strong> a Tabla drumSHAHBASHDari for “Bravo!”SHOWARIa Dari term for the Soviets.TALIBArabic for “scholar.” This term was alsoused to refer to <strong>of</strong>ficials in the Taliban.TASHAKURDari for “thank you.”15


<strong>The</strong> Norton Foundation<strong>The</strong> Kentucky Arts Council, thestate arts agency, supports <strong>Actors</strong><strong>The</strong>atre <strong>of</strong> <strong>Louisville</strong> with state taxdollars and federal funding from theNational Endowment for the Arts.2011attention:young playwrights!<strong>Actors</strong> <strong>The</strong>atre <strong>of</strong> <strong>Louisville</strong> is seekingsubmissions for our Ten-Minute <strong>Play</strong> ContestStudents grades 6-12 living in the Commonwealth <strong>of</strong>Kentucky or the (812) area code <strong>of</strong> Southern Indiana areinvited to submit their very best ten-minute play to NewVoices, <strong>Actors</strong> <strong>The</strong>atre <strong>of</strong> <strong>Louisville</strong>’s annual ten-minute playcontest for young playwrights!<strong>Guide</strong>lines, tips, examples and submission details areoutlined at <strong>Actors</strong><strong>The</strong>atre.org. You may also email yourquestions to NewVoices@<strong>Actors</strong><strong>The</strong>atre.org.Deadline for submissions:October 31, 2010, HalloweenNEW VOICES YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVALWinning plays will be fully produced at <strong>Actors</strong> <strong>The</strong>atre <strong>of</strong><strong>Louisville</strong> in April <strong>of</strong> 2011 and will be published in our NewVoices Anthology!actors theatre <strong>of</strong> louisville n 316 West Main Street n <strong>Louisville</strong>, KY 40202-4218Box <strong>of</strong>fice 502-584-1205 n Group Sales 502-585-1210 n Business Office 502-584-1265<strong>Actors</strong><strong>The</strong>atre.org

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