Zabelle
adapted by Leslie Noble
based on the novel by Nancy Kricorian
directed by Adam Coy
Performances: November 14-17, 2019
SYNOPSIS
It is Zabelle Chasbanian’s seventy-fifth or seventy-sixth birthday – no one quite knew for sure. While her descendants gather for a surprise party, memories of life as a refugee during the Armenian Genocide reemerge. With a family struggling to survive amidst an ethnic cleansing, Zabelle serves as a powerful reminder of the gift of stories and the need to keep telling them.
Based on the novel by Nancy Kricorian, Zabelle’s original production was at Syracuse University in 2015. It was adapted and directed by Leslie Noble, and devised with Sarineh Garapetian, Julián Garnik, Catherine Giddings, and Lindsey Newton.
Photos by Alex Settineri Photography.
Scenic design by Will Sawyer, Lighting design by Tom Simpson, and Costume design by Marissa Menezes.
Interview: Sarineh
Sarineh Garapetian, producer and performer, discusses what makes Zabelle so meaningful, and why you should come see it.
“[Leslie] was able to tell a story about genocide through clown, through comedy, and that’s very special. And that’s what sets Zabelle apart from other genocide-related films or plays that I’ve seen.”
Letter: From the Adapter
“I love old suitcases and their powerful resonance of memories, secrets, and journeys. I had an image of the desert pushing its way out of the suitcase. I also wanted Zabelle’s happy memories before the genocide to come out of it. The suitcase became the perfect container of all of Zabelle’s past.”