Asia Newspaper

3rd Nov. 2015

New work of Iran Saye Theatre and Mehdi Mashhour

Producer of “beautiful hairdresser” and “grandmother’s home” is coming to theatre

Sedighe Sadat Mousavi Zade which has been earlier attended as the producer of

television serials and many tele-theatres comes to theatre by performing “The Door”.

This play which is to be staged in Arghanoun show house is the newest work of Saye

theatre group written and directed by Mehdi Mashhour from 6th November 7th

December.

Shiva Ebrahimi and Hadis Miramini are as actresses, Benyamin Esbati as the

consultant of director, Narmin Khezrpour,Mohammad Nasibipour and Ashkan

Rafian are Musicians, Saeid Hassanlou set designer , Ali Karimi as lighting designer

and Sirvan Khezrpour costume designer

Etemad Newspaper

26th Oct. 2015

Sayeh theatre group goes to broadway in 2016

Mehdi Mashhour: doubt is the issue of all immigrants

Payam Rezaei: immigration and its problems in recent years is the issue of many art

opuses. As a result of this process, theatre in recent years attempted to play its role

by adopting a more social vision. The Door, This is a play written and directed by

Mehdi Mashhour which is staged in Arghanoun with this theme. This play was

performed in Germany. Mashhour in an interview with Etemad Newspaper about

the reason for changing this name say that the name of play was firstly “The Doors”

and then changed to “The Door”. As this play is performed outside the country and

new performance has its own peculiarities, fundamental changes have been made.

This play is about the immigration, is the story of two girls, Marjaneh and Reyhane.

One immigrates to New York from Tehran and the other from New York to Tehran.

The director of this play says that he has been interested in this issue three years ago.

Immigration phenomenon is very much in recent years. We talked to them in

different stages for a journal called immigration theatre. They had a common issue

and it was a kind of doubt about their decisions. He also emphasizes that this play

has some refers to events of Middle East.

Mashhour tells about the experience of performing this work in Germany “we

performed this play in Germany in English Language. Germany is a host country.

The reception of this work was so interesting for us. The performance was in a place

with different nationalities. But they could connect with our issue through the

Middle Eastern culture and music. It was tangible for them that an immigrant

grapples with problems.

“The Door” was staged in Arghanoun theatre played by Hadis Miramini, Shiva

Ebrahimi and the voice of Farhad Ayish.

Farhikhtegan Newspaper

1th May. 2015

It happens for the first time

An Iranian in broad way

Art group: the play of “The Door” directed and written by Mehdi Mashhour could

be accepted in three international festivals which its most important one is New York

fringe festival, it is of the greatest art festivals in music, theatre and other arts. “The

Door” tries to induct the European and American audiences in to the Middle Eastern

women costume, rituals and problems. The play is performed by live Iranian

traditional music which the one of the elements in the theme of this show.

Hamshahri Javan Newspaper

4th Dec. 2015

It’s for years that Mehdi Mashhour performs his theatres in many international

festivals but now he has a performance in Iran: “The Door” in Arghanoun theatre.

This play was performed in theatre centre of Donzdorf Stuttgart Germany in English

language last June and is invited for performance in Midtown International Theatre

Festival and Fringe in New York in 2016.

Talk about immigration, what happened you had such a concern, social aspect of

play?

In recent 7-8 years, wide range of people in the Middle East are going abroad. When

I talked to different Iranian people, I found that each has a big concern for

immigration. But from my opinion, main subject of this play isn’t immigration but

it is an excuse for my other concerns, my main issue is the disturbance of

contemporary Middle Eastern human. They have a special and old culture. This is

the main question: What will be happen to this culture and music? People in abroad

don’t know this culture, in this world, we need to know others culture and we want

to introduce this culture and music in a performance.

Why did you choose migration?

Migration is so close to the cultural duality. I talked to different people while

migrating even to non-Iranian people in the Middle East who intended to migrate.

For example, they intended to go to America from Afghanistan or vice versa. They

all weren’t sure of the thing to do. It is the feature of human that when he wants to

move, something bothers him.

What is the difference of working in Iran with the works you’ve done here for 6

years? What were the reactions of the audience?

The most important difference is the audience. Iranian audiences are so different

from foreign audiences. The most important difference is that what our audience

sees compares with his expectation level, with his possessions and it causes that he

couldn’t fully get of the play but European or American audience has a clear mind.

They get the elements so fast. If they like it would like it and if they don’t, they

wouldn’t. Then, you find that you couldn’t communicate them. If they like it they

would talk to you. This is so important. When we go to theatre, then, we’ll talk to

the audiences for some hours.

Both characters are females, why you chose them among girls and women?

This play speaks more with the signs. Whether the two are females is because in this

play, I want to involve the audience with the women problems and the effect of old

cultures and believes on them. If you bring 10 other characters instead of two, they

are all women again in my opinion. My characters are the symbol of many women

in the Middle East which involve in an issue which causes their disturbance. The

sign is that both of them are the same and have common concern.

Rouzan Newspaper

27th Oct. 2015

Interview with Mehdi Mashhour, the director of “The Door” The play which deals

with the immigration in the Middle East culture. The play “The Door” written and

directed by Mehdi Mashhour is staged in Arghanoun hall from 7th November to 7th

December. Hadis Miramini and Shiva Ebrahimi are the actors of this play and the

voice of Farhad Ayish is used in the play. This work produced by Sedighe Sadat

Mousavi which has “Beautiful hairdresser” and “grandmother’s home” in her record

is performed in Donzdorf Stuttgart Germany and is invited for performance Fringe

New York in 2016. We performed it in Germany and intend to stage it in the late of

year 2016 in New York.

Mehdi Mashhour tells: “We’ve studied the cultural aspects and elements related to

immigration for 2 years”

“The Door” is a play which deals with the immigration issue through the Middle

East beliefs in songs and music. Mashhour tells: “The Middle East consists of

approximately 20 countries, with many different religions and a variety of ethnics.

The culture of the Middle East is diverse and varied. Two characters in this play are

in doubt between modernism and traditionalism. They play their thoughts and

concerns via songs and music. This is new for the abroad audience who does not

know much about this culture and most of time they give nice feedbacks”

Saba Newspaper

31st Oct. 2015

Monologue

Reyhane, Stuttgart and new Arghanoun

Rafi and Wolf Art/ the critique of international festival of Germany Donzdorf theatre

Iranian Saye theatre group was firstly invited by international festival of Donzdorf

theatre by “words and man” in 2012. This theatre was the focus of attention due to

pure acts and using body language by the Iranian cultural aspects and selected as the

top work.

Now, “The Door” the last production of this group is the result of special attention

of Mehdi Mashhour to immigration issue and his full understanding of the feeling of

Middle Eastern immigrants to Europe and United Nations before and after

immigration. He poses the peoples worries from the consequences of this decision

and their doubts on stage. The characters are wandering between two worlds.

Between the Middle East culture and modern culture. The traditional music which

is played by performers is an essential element in this show. The performers open a

wide window to the ethics, costume and traditional of Middle East culture for the

audience.

This play which is entitled to a wide range of interpretations is a perfect work for a

theatre festival which is worth more attention and consideration.

Saba Newspaper

28th Oct. 2015

Farhad Ayish joined Iran Sayeh theatre group

With the presence of Farhad Ayish as voice actor in the play of “The Door”. A group

of agents of this performance was completed. This play written and directed by

Mehdi Mashhour and produced by Sedighe Mousavi Zade goes to stage from 6th

November in Arghanoun show house. The story of this show is related to the

situation of two girls which each is to be migrated from their own country. One of

them from Tehran to New York and the other from New York to Tehran and are in

similar conditions. This play presents the Middle East culture effects on their

decision. The Iranian music in their sadness and happiness, the ancient rituals that

the characters do as a representative of women in the region of wars, Middle East.

There’s a character called Mr. Gol bahari in their life who is always absent and he is

to be provided the condition of migration for them Farhad Ayish as the absent

character but key one is the voice actor of this role. Shiva Ebrahimi and Hadis

Miramini are as actresses, Benyamin Esbati as the consultant of director, Narmin

Khezrpour,Mohammad Nasibipour and Ashkan Rafian are Musicians, Saeid

Hassanlou set designer , Ali Karimi as lighting designer and Sirvan Khezrpour

costume designer. This play is performed this year in theatre centre of Donzdorf in

Stuttgart Germany.

Sayeh theatre group has already performed the play of “man and words” in Armenia,

Lithuania, Italy, France, Germany and America.

Saba Newspaper

4th Dec. 2015

Alienation of people

A look to “The Door” last production of Saye Theatre Group

Adel Zekavat: human comes to immigration against threat to his identity and protect

his existence and cultural records to get rid of this threat. The play of “The Door” on

Arghanoun hall deals with this issue. Immigration is an excuse for this narration by

Mehdi Mashhour and acting Shiva Ebrahimi, Hadis Miramini and the voice of

Farhad Ayish as the creator of this world.

Using original Persian music and selected pieces which seem the most important

way of involving audience to Middle Eastern culture, makes this theatre unique and

independence.

If we fairly look, general events will be goodly presented by the actors the Persian

designs and aspects are essential in this show, the cultural theme is well done through

the hole of sciences, but our expectation of the actors is the access to small events

and dealing with details which we hope it will be more completed in the

performance.

Shargh Newspaper

4th Dec. 2015

Some lines about the play of “The Door” written and directed by Mehdi Mashhour

This play is about common homesick of human and being strange in his hometown,

escape and immigration but it has a unique aspect: dealing with Middle Eastern

culture among the immigration story. A combination of cultural themes and ideas

constitutes the main theme of this theatre. Accordingly, two actresses play theatre in

Arghanoun hall in which a kind of spacing is repeated indicting its performance.

Playing traditional Persian music is another strong element. The musical instruments

Setar, Daf, Santour, are selected with a special attention on regional cultures.

This play has two main characters. One of them is Reyhane Jahed (Hadis Miramini)

and the other one Reyhane Sharif (Shiva Masoudi). These two girls are intend to

immigrate but have the same feeling in foreign country and like to come back their

hometown and the their childhood country culture.

These two girls are the narrator of their stories on parallel by playing traditional

music and songs.

The key to success of Mehdi Mashhour is in his confront with the text which find

better way in contrast with words.