Page 69 - Javanan Magazine Issue # 1865

ISSUE No. 1865
JAVANAN

A JOURNEY FROM TEHRAN TO ‘TEHRAN-GELES’

SOUTH COAST REPERTORY PRESENTS THE WORLD

PREMIERE OF AVAAZ BY MICHAEL SHAYAN

Hilarious, Deeply Personal Tribute to the Playwright’s Mother Part

of the 25th Pacific Playwrights Festival
COSTA MESA, Calif. (April 13, 2023)—South Coast Repertory (Artistic Director David

Ivers and Managing Director Paula Tomei) brings you the story of the American journey
through an Iranian American lens with the world premiere of avaaz by queer Iranian Ameri-
can playwright Michael Shayan. Directed by Tony Award-nominee Moritz von Stuelpnagel
(Hand to God), avaaz runs April 29-May 27 on the Segerstrom Stage.

In avaaz, Shayan introduces you to Roya, our fabulous hostess who welcomes you into her
home to celebrate Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. She’s preparing a feast, but the main at-
traction is Roya’s great American journey from Tehran to “Tehran-geles,” California. This hi-

larious and deeply personal tribute to Shayan’s mother is deliciously portrayed by the person
who knows her best—her son. Traditions, humor and passionate storytelling transform this
tale of family bonds into an unforgettable theatre event.

Along the way, Shayan brings humor and heart to universal questions and themes which are
especially urgent given the ongoing woman-led revolution happening right now in Iran.

“Michael Shayan’s avaaz is at turns hilarious and heartwarming. Provocative, evocative and
universal, the story traces his mother’s journey from Tehran to Los Angeles,” Ivers said. “It
chronicles the struggle and reveals the fortitude so familiar to so many Americans.”

Featured as a reading in last year’s Pacific Playwrights Festival (PPF), avaaz is one of the an-

chor productions of the 25th PPF, May 5-7. It is Shayan’s first full production at South Coast
Repertory.

Shayan, a graduate of Harvard with a Masters of Fine Arts in Playwriting from Brooklyn
College, was a Consulting Producer for the Discovery+ series “The Book of Queer” and
worked on the Emmy Award-winning HBO Max show “We’re Here.” avaaz received devel-
opment grants from the Sundance Institute and Theatre Aspen, with additional development
support from the Ojai Playwrights Conference and La MaMa. Shayan was a Lambda Literary

Playwriting Fellow and is developing an original work for Audible. His playwriting credits
include the Geffen Playhouse, New York Stage and Film, and Rattlestick, among others. At
age 13, he was the youngest member in the history of Hollywood’s Magic Castle.
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