scheherazade's suitcase: web series |
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"Scheherazade's Suitcase" is a web series that reframes 1001 Arabian Nights through the lens of the refugee crisis, using humor, historic images, and toy theater puppetry.
The conceptScheherazade, a Persian refugee caught up in the immigration crisis of the late 2010s, learns that her case will be heard by a famously cruel immigration judge.
Deportation means death, so she must think quickly. Using her wits, her suitcase, and some simple paper and supplies, she derails the courtroom day after day and transfixes the judge with her cliffhanger stories. |
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the process
Scheherazade's Suitcase was a close collaboration with Nazanin Mehraein, an Iranian puppetry designer and art director. Nazanin would create the images and assets in her studio in Vienna, then scan and email them to me in Seattle, where I printed and built the puppets and sets.
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the set
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I have loved working with paper since my days as a teaching artist. The accessibility of the materials can inspire audiences of any age to try their own hand.
I made the first prototype using file folders, which caught the light beautifully.
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Next, I started combing thrift stores for a suitcase with the right aspect ratio and opening mechanism.
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...which got me to a working prototype that I could use to find institutional support through grants and fellowships.
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the teamLacy Katherine Campbell (Dallas, Seattle) creator, co-writer, director
Nazanin Mehraein (Tehran, Vienna) art director, puppetry designer Mona Radziabari (Tehran, Vienna) illustrator Aisha Malik (Lahore, Sydney) co-writer Nahreen Tarzi (Toronto, Los Angeles) co-writer Parmida Ziaei (Tehran, Seattle) puppeteer Ece Muniroglu (Istanbul, Los Angeles) composer This project used the services of Maia Directors, a consulting group for artists and organizations engaging with Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian stories. https://www.maiadirectors.com |
Funding
Scheherazade's Suitcase is funded in part by the City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, 4Culture, and private funds.