NIU’s School of Theatre and Dance is set to open their spring MainStage production following the poem “The Conference of the Birds” directed by Cecilie Keenan.

The play opens on Friday. The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre. Performances will run from April 1-3 with more performances running from April 7-9.

“The Conference of the Birds” is a 12th century Persian poem written by Farid-ud-din Attar. Using an allegory of birds, the piece describes the human struggle of achieving enlightenment, according to the HeritageLab. 

The poem is originally related to an Islamic religion called Sufi, which is a branch of Islamic mysticism that guides believers to seek the truth of divine knowledge and love through direct interactions with God, according to Britannica. 

The School of Theatre and Dance will be using the adapted, translated version of the poem by Sholeh Wolpé. 

The play tells the story of the poem through dance and movement while also using the figurative language from the original poem. 

The School of Theatre and Dance has hosted similar events in past years, even adapting other stories and myths from around the world to fit the stage. 

Tickets for this event must be purchased in advance, and are free for NIU students. Click this link to reserve your tickets.