TEHRAN- Hilaj Theater in Tehran will be playing host to a reading performance of American writer Ira Levin’s “Veronica's Room” on October 4.

The performance will be directed by Mehregan Tehrani based on a Persian translation by Shahram Zargar. 

The play will be read by a cast composed of Sarina Kian, Parsa Safari, Niloufar Torabi and Mohammad Javad Mohammadi. 

"Veronica's Room" is a chilling mystery thriller that blurs the boundaries between reality and fantasy, sanity and madness. The story follows students Susan and Larry, who are invited as guests to the eerie Brabissant mansion by its dissolute caretakers, the lonely and manipulative Mackeys. As they spend time at the mansion, Susan is struck by her uncanny resemblance to Veronica Brabissant, the long-deceased daughter of the family. 

The Mackeys, sensing Susan's resemblance, gradually persuade her to impersonate Veronica, aiming to comfort Veronica's fragile sister, who is mentally disturbed and believes Veronica is still alive. At first, Susan agrees, thinking it a harmless role-playing experience. However, once she dons Veronica's clothes and takes on her persona, she finds herself trapped in the role — locked in Veronica's room and unable to distinguish what is real from what is illusion. 

As the story unfolds, it becomes increasingly unclear whether Susan is truly Veronica, reliving her past in 1935, or if she is simply an imaginary version created by the disturbed minds surrounding her. The line between fantasy and reality becomes dangerously thin, leading to a tense and unsettling climax. 

"Veronica's Room" explores themes of identity, madness, and the destructive power of illusion, leaving readers questioning what is genuine and what is fabricated. The story's psychological depth and suspenseful atmosphere make it a haunting tale of obsession and the horrifying consequences of blurring the lines between perception and reality.

SAB/