Dramatic Defiance in Tehran (essay)

A rare and surprising look at contemporary theatre in Iran, this five-month snapshot offers a welcome glimpse into a society that remains closed to many in the West.

“In March 2010, less than a year after Iran’s contested presidential elections I arrive in the capital city of Tehran to explore its theatre. I am aware that many activists remain imprisoned and the crackdown on the opposition has grown into an all out cultural purification. Naturally, I expect to find closed cultural institutions and a general state of despondency but I am pleasantly surprised; the streets of Tehran may be quiet but the stages are burning up with defiant antiestablishment commentary which is an interesting contradiction in a country where every script and production must be preapproved by government authorities.” TDR/The Drama Review (2012) 56 (1 (213)): 77–92.