What if telling a story meant risking your life?  Moved by the silencing of the Kurdish language by Turkish laws, Diane Edgecomb embarks on a journey of intrigue and heart to record the last Kurdish storytellers. In remote mountain villages, forbidden to outsiders, the stories of the Kurds' lives and of their struggle mixed with startling ancient legends. Compassion opens new doorways to this hidden world: a mythic landscape of shepherds, guard towers, caravans, impossible mountain passes and the mysterious eggs from an ancient tree; a deeply moving, richly humorous story of the extraordinary people who shared their lives and their stories with her.
 

Based entirely on true events, A Thousand Doorways tells of Diane’s journey to gather the folktales of the last Kurdish storytellers. A storyteller herself, she is swept into a world of oppression and silenced voices where even the simplest cultural expression is forbidden. The resilience of the Kurds, their humor and heart in the face of every challenge, is revealed as Diane finds her search has become a deep quest for a touchstone for her own work and an even deeper search for redemption. The piece is woven through with the magical Kurdish fairy tale “The Eggs of the Ancient Tree.” mirroring and challenging the author’s own journey.
 

“An epic story told with consummate skill.” - The Stage
 

“An uplifting story about how the human spirit triumphs in the face of all odds.” - Broadway Baby

Author of A Fire in My Heart, the first collection of Kurdish folktales to be published in English, Diane Edgecomb is also one of America’s leading storytellers, winner of the only ORACLE award for Storytelling Excellence in the Northeast the National Circle of Excellence award and five Storytelling World awards. A transformational teller with a rich background in the theatre arts, Diane’s dynamic storytelling embraces elements of theatre, movement and song bringing each piece vividly to life. A featured teller on NPR and winner of a Year’s Best Performance award for her theater work in Boston, Diane’s storytelling has been seen at prestigious venues throughout the country and internationally for over twenty-five years including the National Storytelling Festival, the International Storytelling Center, the Scottish International Storytelling Festival and the Kurdish Heritage Library and Museum. Passionate about the power of story and what it can do for our world, Diane’s keynotes and workshops often accompany her performances inspiring a renewed vision for our world as well as encouraging each person’s expressive and narrative abilities.
 

“Diane Edgecomb’s performance of A Thousand Doorways is a tour de force in every way.  The story of her adventures in the Kurdish region of Turkey is courageous and deeply evocative, by turns terrifying, hilarious, enchanting and poignant.  Her delivery of this incredible story is impeccable, bringing to life every character she meets with vivid style. From her intrepid and entrepreneurial mountain guide, to the refugee boy who has lost his front teeth due to torture, to the feisty grandmother who spins magical ancient tales and then invites her to “skypee,” every person is unforgettable.  A Thousand Doorways will leave you irrevocably and powerfully changed.” —Genevieve Aichele, New Hampshire Theatre Project

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NHTP's 2022-23 season theme of Legacy & Transformation asks the question: What do we leave behind? A Thousand Doorways explores what happens when a culture is forced to leave behind its traditions and stories. What is our responsibility to preserve endangered cultures? What does the world risk in losing their stories completely?
 

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