In her lecture-performance Azade Shahmiri examines the historically imagined representation of the West and at the same time reflects on the position of an Iranian performer on a European theater stage today. Shahmiri's notion of whiteness goes back to her studies of Iranian plays and how the West is represented in them. Since theater as an art form arrived in Iran in the 19th century, it has been a progressive tool in the hands of playwrights: They were pioneers in times of enlightenment and socio-political changes. As a new means of communication, plays quickly became a medium that described the present and testified to the past. It is fascinating how this Western phenomenon of theater became a modern means of portraying, praising and also criticizing the West. Plays began to construct the West and create an imagined reality of it. As it was for the first generation of Iranian playwrights, theater today is still a place where the unbearable reality of today can be reimagined - remembered, re-read and re-performed without nostalgia for the past.

The performance lasts about 60 minutes. It is in English and Farsi spoken language. However, knowledge of English is sufficient for comprehension of the piece. At some points during the show, the light situation is very bright or very dark. There are no sudden light changes. The piece is suitable for a young audience. The audience area on the grandstand is seated. There are two wheelchair spaces and one beanbag seat that can be reserved by phone or booked via the online ticket shop or at the box office, if available. If you have any questions or need further information, please contact Gina Jeske at jeske@sophiensaele.com or 030 27 89 00 35.

AZADE Shahmiri (director, writer and performer, Tehran/Iran) holds a BA and MA in Theater studies from Tehran University. Her book Postcolonial Theory and Criticism was published in 2010. She works on solo performances and group projects. Her solo performances Damascus and Voicelessness have been shown at the Zürcher Theaterspektakel and Kunstenfestival DesArts, among others. Azade was artist in residence at Theaterformen Hannover 2011, on the jury of Theaterspektakel 2012 and at the Asian Arts Festival in South Korea. Her latest work Quasi premiered at the Wiener Festwochen 2021.