The Graduate Center Elebash Hall
365 Fifth Avenue
(bet. 34th and 35th Streets)
Trains: B,D,F,M to 34th St.; 6 to 33rd St.
Tickets $25; $20 for Graduate Center Members and Students (contact 212-817-8215 for discount information)
This rare event features the art of naqqali (Persian storytelling), which originated around 247 BC–224 AD. In royal courts, public squares, or tea houses, the naqqal recounted tales of epic legends through song, mime, and movement—as still happens today. The best-known literary work used by naqqals is Ferdowsi's epic Shahnameh (Book of Kings), written about 1000 AD. It is an engaging rendering of Iranian history, with its myths and legends of heroism, warfare, and romance. Morshed Torabi, one of the last living masters of naqqali, immerses his audiences in the magical world of his characters. Torabi will be joined by a zoorkhaneh percussionist/singer, who will assist him in dramatizing the stories in his U.S. debut.
