Susan Granger’s review of “The Kite Runner” (Helen Hayes Theater – Broadway)
While Marc Forster’s 2007 film adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s 2003 best-seller about the doomed friendship of two Afghan boys was not only faithful to the book, it also enhanced the narrative with resonant visuals.
Unfortunately, Matthew Spangler’s simplistic stage adaptation revolves around a lengthy monologue, augmented by a drummer and a series of melodramatic sketches, performed by an ensemble that juggles roles on Barney George’s minimal, modular stage. The unsatisfying result is rather disappointing.
Both the novel and the play begin with the narrator Amir intoning, “I became what I am today at the age of 12.”
In 1973 in Kabul, there were two young lads. Amir (Amir Arison) was a privileged boy whose widowed father, Baba (Faran Tehir), was a wealthy Pashtun merchant. Hassan (Erik Sirakian) was the son of Ali (Evan Zes), Baba’s faithful Hazan servant of 40 years. Despite the inherent social stigma in an extremely class-conscious society, they seem as close as brothers.
Amir and Hassam are partners in Kabul’s intense kite-flying contest, which requires participants to use their kite strings to cut those of their rivals. Amir is the kite flyer, while Hassan serves as the kite runner. (The action-packed kite-flying scenes are simulated by actors manipulating small, white, birdlike kites in choreographed patterns).
Both boys are bullied by psychopathic Assef (Amir Malaklou), who rapes Hassan, while Amir does nothing. Haunted by this childhood act of cowardice, Amir now reflects on and tries to atone for his failure to come to the aid of his best friend.
Meanwhile, Amir escaped from Afghanistan with Baba after the Soviet invasion, making a new life in San Francisco. Time passes. There’s the romance and marriage of Amir and Soroya (Azita Ghanizada), daughter of former General Tahiri (Houshang Touzie), and revelations about Hassan’s true parentage. That impels Amir to return to Afghanistan to adopt Hassan’s child and to chronicle his encounter with Assef, now a Taliban fighter.
“The Kite Runner” was first staged in 2007 at San Jose State University; its first professional production launched in 2009; since then, it’s been presented in multiple countries.
Directed by Giles Croft, this production is based on one in 2013 at the Nottingham Playhouse and at Wyndham’s Theater on the West End of London three years later. With a running time of 2½ hours with one intermission – it’s at Broadway’s Helen Hayes Theater through October 30.