The San Jose Rep has been having an exciting season and it’s not over yet! The stage production of The Kite Runner has its world premiere run now through April 19 and it is not to be missed.

After reading the book a couple years ago I was very interested to hear about the stage production. Apparently SJSU Professor Matthew Spangler also loved the story; he adapted the novel to stage himself. “Its epic structure – spanning the continents and nearly 30 years – its powerful moments of high drama and its engaging characters make this an ideal story for live performance,” states Spangler.

But this isn’t the only connection the novel has to San Jose. Novelist Khaled Hosseini moved to San Jose in 1980 when he and his family were granted political asylum from war torn Afghanistan. San Jose and the area around us also serve as a setting for part of the story. “No matter where you are born, what language you speak or what religion you practice, there are human experiences that bind us all, and The Kite Runner speaks to those experiences,” states Hosseini.

The Kite Runner is a tale told through the lives of two boys growing up in Kabul in the same household, but in two starkly different worlds. Amir is the son of a wealthy businessman, while Hassan is the son of Amir’s father’s servant, a shunned ethnic minority. But fate, global politics and historical tragedy threaten both their lives and their friendship. If you have read the novel you know the story is not for young children, but the two violent scenes, integral to the storyline, are committed offstage. The chilling effect however is still strong.

“If you aren’t beating back the tears by the final tableau, you had better see a doctor because there may be something wrong with your heart.” Karen D’Souza, Mercury News

Playing: Now through April 19th, 2009
Price range: $33-$62
By phone: 408.367.7255
Online: www.sjrep.com
San Jose Repertory Theatre, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose, CA 95113-2603