"Yeghiazarian is the Margo Jones–founding-mother-figure of Middle Eastern–American theatre." -Dr. Holly Hill, Salam-Peace Anthology
LEILI & MAJNUN (Central Stage, December 2024)
Catch my dynamic staging of Leili & Majnun, celebrated Persian poet Nizami’s timeless tale of star-crossed lovers, featuring an ensemble of actors, singers and musicians. Performance is in English with Persian poetry. December 5-15, 2024 at Central Stage (5221 Central Avenue, Richmond, CA) Performs Wednesdays–Saturdays at 8pm, and on Sunday, December 15 at 3pm - Tickets ($25-$50) are available at CentralStage.org
ENGLISH (Capital Stage, January 2025)
I'm excited to direct Sanaz Toossi's award-winning play at Capital Stage in Sacramento! "It’s 2008, and four Iranians assemble in a TOEFL class in Karaj, Iran. The students are led by Marjan, an anglophile who abolishes Farsi from her classroom. As the class slowly devolves into a linguistic mess, some students cling tighter to their mother tongue while others embrace the possibilities of a new language."
I'm a passionate advocate for Middle Eastern theatre and theatre-makers to help put our stories on American stages. In spring 2023, I served as cultural consultant at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, TheatreWorks, and Heartbeat Opera. I also serve as advisor on a number of grant programs, and work with select theatre companies on their strategic planning, donor cultivation, and community development.
A playwright, director, and translator, Torange Yeghiazarian founded Golden Thread Productions, the first American theatre company devoted to plays from or about the Middle East, and served as its Executive Artistic Director for the next twenty-five years, nurturing generations of Middle Eastern American talent through visionary programs such as ReOrient Festival, New Threads, Fairytale Players, and What do the Women Say? She is a co-founding member of Middle Eastern North African Theatre Makers Alliance.