Kite Runner Stage Adaptation to Be Part of San Jose Rep ’08-’09 Season

The world premiere of a stage adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s best-selling novel The Kite Runner will be part of San Jose Repertory Theatre’s 2008-2009 season.

The season will kick off with Larry Shue’s popular comedy, The Foreigner, August 30-September 28, with an opening set for September 5. The play revolves around a shy Englishman who pretends to be a foreigner unable to speak English.

Next up is the West Coast premiere of Splitting Infinity, October 11-November 9, with an opening on October 17. Jamie Pachino’s play concerns a Nobel prize-winning astrophysicist, who takes on the definitive scientific challenge: to use physics to prove whether God exists.

Mark Brown’s adaptation of the Jules Verne novel Around the World in 80 Days will follow, November 22-December 21, with an opening on November 28. This globe-trotting epic is the follows fearless adventurer Phileas Fogg who sets off to circumnavigate the globe in a mere 80 days.

The world premiere of The Kite Runner, adapted for the stage by Matthew Spangler, will run March 21-April 19, with an opening set for March 27. The play tells a haunting story of friendship and redemption in modern Afghanistan, from the pre-Russian-invasion glory days through the horrific reign of the Taliban.

The season will conclude with the regional premiere of the Broadway musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, featuring a book by Rachel Sheinkin, with music and lyrics by William Finn, May 9-June 7, with an opening on May 15. The musical celebrates the mania of competition as the funniest, most lovable and sardonically nerdy contestants compete for the Spelling Bee title.

For more information, visit www.SJRep.com.