“Once upon a time, in the ancient city of Baghdad, there was a young girl called Jehan. When Jehan smiled by day, the sun shone brightly.
When she smiled at night, the stars glittered and sparkled…”

Golden Thread’s Fairytale Players present "The Girl Who Lost Her Smile" in the traditional Iranian story telling style of Naghalli, including some poetry in Persian and full, visually rich performance values. Adapted from a children’s book of the same name by Karim Alrawi and inspired by a Rumi tale, the fable transports us to the ancient city of Baghdad where we find a young girl has lost her smile. Artists from around the world are brought to help restore the girl’s smile through magic and entertainment. But the solution lies elsewhere as only those watching very closely will find out!

"The Girl Who Lost Her Smile" engages audiences through text and movement, authentic music and dance, and also creates language, geography and cultural connections to the Middle East. A Study Guide is available that discusses specific cultural traditions, vocabulary, and dramatic activities for further understanding of the play. The performance naturally includes selected audience members in major roles and as an option, the Fairytale Players can incorporate a pre-show visual arts component ultimately utilized in the production, a participatory authentic dance experience, or workshops designed to foster creativity, imagination, and impart basic theatre skills.

***Elementary schools encouraged to attend***