TEHRAN- Renowned Iranian director and actor Afshin Hashemi is set to stage his acclaimed production, "Female Monologues Based on the Alphabet," in Oakland, California, featuring a cast of Iranian actors residing in the United States.

 Hashemi, who is currently in the US for a cultural project, will bring the play to the stage at the Oakland University of Fine Arts on May 30 and 31, and June 6 and 7, ISNA reported on Wednesday. 

The production consists of 32 distinct monologues that narrate the stories of Iranian women from various eras—spanning the past and present. Each monologue is uniquely centered on a specific letter of the Persian alphabet, making extensive use of colloquial language, idioms, and traditional proverbs.

The play was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic when traditional theaters were closed. It initially gained widespread popularity through a series of digital performances by actress Mona Farjad on social media from April 2021 to May 2022. The innovative project was later honored by the Iranian House of Theater’s Actors Guild, which presented awards to both Hashemi and Farjad for their cultural contribution during the lockdown era.

Hashemi had originally intended to stage the play in Tehran at the Iranshahr Theater Hall this past April. However, due to the current regional conflict and the prevailing war conditions, the Tehran performance was postponed. In the interim, Hashemi decided to organize the California run with the Iranian expatriate artistic community.

The director has stated that he plans to return to Iran to stage "Female Monologues" for domestic audiences as soon as conditions permit.

SAB/