The house lights dim, signaling a cacophony of drums and chanting, white sheets covering the in-the-round stage are removed and a dozen intricately designed carpets are unfurled. Ornamental lamps descend from the ceiling and a troupe of colorfully dressed actors take their positions on the rugs and on carved wooden tables. Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age, this is the setting of The Arabian Nights, a bold and imaginative production currently running at Arena Stage as part of its inaugural season at the beautifully constructed Mead Center for American Theater. Written and directed by Mary Zimmerman, the play is an adaptation of One Thousand and One Nights, the famed collection of fables and fairy tales with roots throughout ancient Arabia, Persia and South Asia.