Mark Morris returns with his company of 15 dancers for a new, large-scale production that receives its world premiere in September. Layla and Majnun is an Arabian love story that originated as a poem in ancient Persia and is well known among many Middle Eastern and sub-continental cultures. In love from childhood, Layla and Majnun (the name means “possessed”) are not allowed to unite. Majnun, mad in his obsession with Layla, becomes a hermit when she is married off to another man. He devotes his life to writing verses about his profound love for Layla, and although they attempt to meet, they die without ever realizing their relationship.