On October 8, the Paterno Fellows students were offered discounted access to a live, one-man production of Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner. Immediately following the show, to which we students were privileged to have first row balcony seating, an intimate discussion between ten students and two professors investigated the themes of the novel/play and how they related to the themes of this year’s Penn State Reads book, Beautiful Souls.
The performance lasted roughly one hour and depicted the first one-third of the book; those who are familiar with the story would know this as the end of Amir’s childhood narrative. I was skeptical that one man would be able to capture and portray all the characters–each with their own complex ideologies and inner struggles–but the actor did as well as I could have hoped for in capturing the emotions and conflicts presented throughout the novel. He held the audience’s attention and provided clarity in his transitions from character to character by utilizing various voice inflections and body language. Additionally, I must recognize the actor’s talent in memorizing the ongoing monologue of a play which is typically three hours long.
However, as all plays do, this one had its ups and downs. The rape scene, one so vividly depicted in the novel, was only an implied occurrence onstage, depicted broadly as a scene of profound violence. In a brief Q&A session after the play, an audience member who had not read the book had voiced that she did not understand that the scene in the alley was one of such tragedy. I feel that a mere implication of such a scene leaves out the intensity of the situation, the intensity which mirrors the magnitude of Amir’s guilt, the guilt without which there would be no novel. In response to this audience member, the actor explained that this was a conservative choice, one which would make the play appropriate for younger audiences. I believe the play, as well as the loyalty to The Kite Runner’s plot line, would be enhanced by creating a version which caters to mature audiences.
The seminar after the play briefly touched upon this artistic choice. The discussion participants included ten Paterno Fellows students, Director of the Paterno Fellows Program, Catherine Wanner, and Assistant Director of the Rock Ethics Institute, Michael Burroughs. The majority of the talk revolved around the moral and ethical issues presented in The Kite Runner with Beautiful Soul’s underlying ethical themes serving as a topic backdrop.
The discussion was intense, intimate, and enlightening. All students and professors who attended were well acquainted with Amir, Hassan, and Baba, characters of The Kite Runner who exemplify the struggles of love, ethics, and moral consciousness which served as ongoing topics of conversations. The analysis and ideas presented were ones I have yet to have the privilege of experiencing in a traditional classroom setting; all students in the seminar chose to be there based on their passions for reading and connections to The Kite Runner. If the opportunity presents itself to be part of a similar seminar, you can count me in.