For the ultimate efficiency of the 2023-24 season, City Theater Company brings to life a compelling, thought-provoking, and generally humorous piece of theater with “Andy Warhol in Iran.”
Brent Askari’s play might be carried out for the primary time in Pittsburgh, with masterful course by Mark Masterson.
The story is ready in 1976, when iconic pop artist and Pittsburgh native Andy Warhol travels to Iran to take Polaroid photographs of the Shah’s spouse. The play’s fictional creativeness is embedded within the second of that go to and unfolds in a single setting: Warhol’s resort room in Tehran. The plot revolves across the go to of a younger revolutionary named Farhad (Arian Ladd) who makes an attempt to kidnap Warhol (Jeffrey Emerson) to be able to draw consideration to his trigger, leading to a tense It makes for a captivating and insightful story.
“Andy Warhol in Iran” is a reasonably sparse play, with solely two actors and one precise set. The efficiency was a good 80 minutes with out intermission, however the traces and actions moved so properly that each second of that point was used to its most impact, and all the stage area was utilized. Ta.
Emerson was charming as Warhol. His vocals and bodily mannerisms had been particular and fluid, making a pure look. The present begins with him breaking the fourth wall and delivering an ungainly but charming monologue to the viewers. Throughout the play, Emerson does a masterful job of each comedic and dramatic moments, bringing a refreshing humanity to a personality as shrouded in eccentricity and efficiency as Warhol.
As Farhad, a younger man who joins a bunch of revolutionaries preventing towards the Shah’s rule, Lado is uncooked and seething with anger and keenness. Whether he was reciting a poem or describing the horrific crimes of the regime’s secret police, he delivered each line as if it had been crucial message ever spoken.
Together, the 2 create an unlikely mixture that effortlessly carries the dramatic weight of the play. With the assistance of combat choreographer Samuel GC Muñoz, they’d a number of explosive altercations. They had been capable of fill all the stage area with charisma and chemistry.
Please observe that “Andy Warhol in Iran” shouldn’t be an apolitical play. Much of it examines the distinction between Warhol, who got here to Iran to earn cash with out understanding the nation’s historical past or present scenario, and Farhad, who needed to stay and combat in fixed concern and oppression. At one level, Farhad expressed that “politics is human.” This signifies that the political selections all of us make have far-reaching results on the lives of different people round us.
Although the 2 characters didn’t fully match one another’s views, by the tip of the play there may be robust proof that they “see” one another extra clearly, and the viewers needs that too. It was.
The play was additionally a beneficial historical past lesson about each Andy Warhol’s life and the nation of Iran.
Technically, this manufacturing was really extraordinary. Set designer Michael B. Rayford, costume designer Susan Tzu, lighting designer Paul Whitaker, and sound designer Zachary Beatty-Brown be sure that each second of the play is visually and audibly fascinating. I made it into one thing.
The characters and messages in Askari’s performs are certain to stay within the hearts of audiences for a very long time. It could even trigger a change in perspective and produce the portrait of humanity into sharper focus.
“Andy Warhol in Iran” runs by May 12 on the City Theater on Pittsburgh’s South Side. For extra info and tickets, go to citytheatrecompany.org.
Alexis Papalia is a TribLive employees author. Contact her at apapalia@triblive.com.