RECONSIDER YOUR IMAGE OF ME

Teatr Shar, Teheran

2016

“Reconsider your image of me” is a long term research based performance project that reflects on and deconstructs the European imagery of the so called “middle east” and at the same time analyses how this image conditions the selfdefinition of iranians.
So far two different performances have been developed under this title. “Reconsider your image of me, Tehran” and “Reconsider your image of me, Den Hague”.

After an initial research and development period they decided to look at the images that Europe has and produces on the so called middle East and vice versa and what kind of politics and stereotypes those images create in our collective imagery. Considering daily life as culture, the company looked at intercultural misunderstandings, and questioned whether theatre could deconstruct those images and by this form a bridge between them and reality.

A production of:

Virgule Performance arts Company and STET Theater, Den Hague.

With the financial support of Hafez Hall Theater Tehran, the Dutch embassy in Iran and Goethe Institut.

The company gathered for a workshop in The Hague in The Netherlands in March/April 2016 to develop the Dutch Performance. In this workshop the company collaborated with the Iranian playwright Naghmeh Samini and the performance-artist Eleonora Herder.

They developed a performance, which crossed the borders between fictional drama, mockumentary and TV show, also illustrating the fictional construction of cultural identities.

Three Iranian and three European performers were introduced to the audience as intercultural couples and are being interviewed by the audience.

Together with the playwright Naghmeh Samini the performers had previously developed an immense background of biographical fragments, documents and fictional narratives about their own half fictional half real identities. Armed with this baggage they affronted and answered the questions and challenges coming from the audience.

Depending on which questions are asked the performance develops in one direction or another. The audience creates the dramaturgy of the show. What starts as an amusing performative game develops into more and more of a reflection on cultural stereotypes and demonstrates the mechanism of the construction of national or religious identities.

All information about the project:

http://www.reconsideryourimageofme.net/

Director & Set Designer: Arvand Dashtaray

Writer: Naghmeh Samini

Dramaturg: Cecile Brommer

Project manager: Marene van Holk

Lighting Designer: Vasilis Apostolatos

Video Designer: Mahtab Alizadeh

Director’s Assistant: Amin Yazdaninejad

Producer: Elske van Holk (STET)

Artistic Advisor: Eleonora Herder

Production manager: Tara Miller

Performers: Marene van Holk, Saber Abar, Hassan Madjooni, Diba Khatami, Natasa Stork

Project Manager and Co-ordinator: SaeedeH AmirSaei

STET Project Manager in Tehran: Marene van Holk

First Assistant Director: Amin Yazdannejad

Second Assistant Director: Ali Khalatbari

Technical Manager: Mahtab Alizadeh

Translators: Yasamin Hamedani, Danial Khojasteh, Diba Hajiha

You can see a full documentation of this showing following the link:

(Password is: Reconsider)

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