TEHRAN – The play “People, Places and Things” by the British playwright Duncan Macmillan is currently on stage at Art Palace in Tehran.

Masoumeh Beygi has translated and directed the 75-minute play. She also performs in the play along with Hamidreza Bodaghi, Sara Sajadi, Iman Sayad Borhani, Reza Karimi, Navid Askari, Shayan Mohammadi, and Pouria Nikkhah.

Duncan Macmillan’s intoxicating hit play is about Emma, a struggling actress whose life is spinning recklessly out of control.

Emma, a talented theatre actress, collapses during rehearsals for a staging of “The Seagull” by Chekhov, due to the abuse of alcohol and drugs; the company she works for dismisses her and requires her to detox in order to return to acting. Unwillingly, Emma checks in a rehabilitation clinic, initially determined to stay there only for the time necessary to be declared clean and return to work, but she ends up staying there for several months.

Emma was having the time of her life. Now she’s in rehab. Her first step is to admit that she has a problem. But the problem isn’t with Emma, it’s with everything else. She needs to tell the truth. But she’s smart enough to know that there’s no such thing. When intoxication feels like the only way to survive the modern world, how can she ever sober up?

The play is a harrowing look at drug and alcohol addiction and recovery. Its writing was prompted by Macmillan's desire to write a leading part for an actress: he has said he “wrote this play believing very strongly that there were a lot of brilliant actresses who just weren't getting parts that would push them and that they could excel in.”

“People, Places and Things” will remain on stage until October 7 at the Art Palace, located at No. 50, Zand-e-Vakil Alley, Razi St., Neauphle le chateau St., Hafez Ave.

SS/SAB