The Kite Runner

I'm still enough of a surly adolescent that I've resisted trends in popular literature (plus, I don't have a CostCo card), so I've never read The Kite Runner or seen the movie. Tonight's stage adaptation at San Jose Rep, then, was more of a revelation for me than many Bay Area audiences, although I became aware that I had, in fact, scanned the plot summary on Wikipedia at some point.

A handsome production from the top down, extending even beyond the talents of my CPF James "Jimmy" Saba! Scenery, lighting, costumes-- all gorgeous (Vicki Smith, David Lee Cuthbert, Kish Finnegan, respectively). Strong acting overall, though somewhat too strong in the case of Amir (Barzin Akhavan). That guy goes to eleven. And sometimes twelve. I blame the director (David Ira Goldstein), ultimately, for the good and the ehhh. There was no restraint, and a remarkable lack of specificity. When a play is primarily narrated, the director is responsible for making clear whom the narrator is addressing. Even if the answer is "the audience," the questions of relative status, receptiveness, etc. remain. Please don't just cheeze at me for two hours. Aaack-ting!

Still, and despite the rather heavy-handed script (Matthew Spangler from Kholed Hosseini's novel), I enjoyed the show very much, thanks to beautiful stage pictures, an attractive and committed cast, and one truly amazing tabla player (Salar Nader).

The Kite Runner at San Jose Rep. Through April 24, 2009.