The Good Woman of Tehran

I have been the artistic director of an artistic charity for 20 years in the Iranian community in London.

The activities which were led through theatre helped us all to integrate into society, and while producing a play, teamwork, and friendship were experienced. This has enabled us not to be lonely and depressed.

I would like to continue next year to pursue the project below.

The play and its summary are as follows:

The Good Person of Szechwan is a play written by German dramatist Bertolt Brecht; the play was completed in 1941 while the author was in exile in the United States. This play is a parable in the Chinese city of Sichuan, China.

Themes:

Poverty

The play follows a young prostitute, Shen Teh (Chinese name), as she struggles to lead a life that is "Good" according to the terms of the morality taught by the Gods and to which her fellow citizens of Szechwan pay no regard, without allowing herself to be abused and trodden upon by those who would accept and often use her goodness. Her neighbors and friends prove so brutal in filling their bellies that Shen Teh is forced to invent an alter ego to protect herself: a male cousin named Shui Ta (Chinese name), who becomes a cold and stern protector of Shen Teh's interests.

Brecht's interest in historical materialism is evident in the play's definition of contemporary morality and altruism in social and economic terms—Shen Teh's altruism conflicts with Shui Ta's capitalist ethos of exploitation.

The Play implies that economic systems determine society's morality.

My Plan

We aim to perform this play in Persian in an adopted format where the storyline occurs in a poor district of Tehran.

We have long-standing experience in performing many plays through live streaming. We also have strong connections with many Persian-speaking actors worldwide. We plan to achieve this play on stage, with some actors acting on the stage and others acting through live streaming on a large screen. The production team is eager to experiment with this innovative performance method.

For example, actors from Sydney, Tehran, and Paris will play the three Gods through live streaming on a large screen.

We would be grateful if you could support us in producing this project.