Washington Post - Recommended
"...By and large, though, this "Arabian Nights" acquits itself as a spirited and resourceful catalogue of ancient tales, evocatively enhanced by the least intrusive of design elements. Daniel Ostling's incidental scenic adornments - a bazaar's worth of rugs and a thin forest of hanging lanterns - offer the suggestion of an entertainment in an enchanted oasis. Andre Pluess's music for drums and strings provides sensuous underscoring. And Mara Blumenfeld's colorful, billowy costumes put us instantly in mind of storybook desert kingdoms."
Baltimore Sun - Recommended
"...Zimmerman directs the action with a sure, imaginative touch. The combination of Daniel Ostling’s set, Mara Blumenfeld’s costumes and T.J. Gerchens’ lighting proves terrifically evocative. Music by Andre Pluess adds greatly to the atmosphere; that the cast lacks distinctive singers doesn’t really hurt too much."
DCist - Highly Recommended
"...Zimmerman & Co. go on to examine themes of generosity, fidelity and fraternity, and conclude by establishing an emotional link between its stories and the events of modern day Baghdad -- a satisfying finish to a captivating experience."
Examiner - Highly Recommended
"...The Arabian Nights at Arena Stage in-the-round is simply amazing! The work written and directed by Tony award winning Mary Zimmerman is extremely engaging and entertaining."
MetroWeekly - Highly Recommended
"...even if you've never heard or don't remember any of the other classic Arabian tales, you'll no doubt be charmed just the same by Arena Stage's transporting production, which offers a magic carpet ride through several dozen delightful Arabian anecdotes and allegories, lessons in life passed down through the centuries."
WeLoveDC - Somewhat Recommended
"...There are two types of perfume. One kind hits with a ravishing force. You recognize the top notes instantly, as they drag you down an olfactory lane whether you want to or not. The other kind is subtly layered, ingratiating itself into your memory with a more delicate air. I expected Mary Zimmerman’s adaptation of The Arabian Nights to be a powerful whiff of rose attar or sandalwood, instead, it’s more elusive, like night jasmine on the breeze."
Talkin Broadway - Highly Recommended
"...Spellbinding may be too obvious a word to use for Mary Zimmerman's adaptation of The Arabian Nights now at Arena Stage's Fichandler Stage in Washington, but it's the word that fits. Zimmerman and her 14 performers hypnotize the audience as surely as Scheherezade (Stacey Yen) captivates the murderous King Shahryar (David DeSantos)."
Washingtonian - Highly Recommended
"...The Fichandler’s theater-in-the-round format is the perfect environment for such a physical and layered piece, allowing the actors to dance, mime, sing, and perform acrobatics in a circus-like setting. Zimmerman embraces comedy but doesn’t shy away from the moral core beneath the stories Scheherezade tells—making the most of an entertainment form as old as language itself."
Curtain Up - Somewhat Recommended
"...Maybe Zimmerman's cast is not used to working in the round; maybe Zimmerman's actors are not as well-trained as the actors Washington is accustomed to seeing; maybe Zimmerman the director is too self- indulgent to edit Zimmerman the writer. Even the movement begins to look familiar Actors standing in a diagonal line, actors rolling around on the floor, actors milking a gag for longer than necessary. And yet there are some very nice touches such as the round dance performed by fez-wearing whirling dervishes."
DCTheatreScene - Highly Recommended
Mary Zimmerman’s The Arabian Nights, now being given sweet and vigorous voice at Arena Stage, could be with perhaps more justice called How the Mad King Shahryar Recovered his Humanity, so astutely does it measure the healing power of storytelling.
