“Engaging, Fantastical, and Speculative” The Broadway World
THE THEATRE TIMES: The Legend of the Serpent King” and Dialogue of Civilizations at American Repertory Theater: An Interview with the Creative Team (Read The Interview)
“A unique theatrical enterprise inspired by both western and eastern
theatrical traditions, and rooted in the organic connections among artists
working within a minimalist production design.” MIZAN
Zahhak, the Legend of the Serpent King
A new adaptation from Shahnameh by Abul-Qâsem Ferdowsi (940–1020Ad)
written and directed by Vahdat Yeganeh
performed by Donya Pooli Yeganeh & Engin Ozsahin
music by Engin Ozsahin
costume and makeup: Donya Pooli Yeganeh
lighting: Justin Paice
January 12-15, 2023 at The American Repertory Theater
Here at the Boston Experimental Theatre (BETC), we are beyond honored and very
humbled to invite you to the premiere of our production: Zahhak: The Legend of The
Serpent King, at the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) on January 12-15, 2023.
This production is a part of BETC and A.R.T.’s Dialogue of Civilizations
program.
Zahhak is an ancient Persian story from Shahnameh (Persian Book of
Kings) by Abul-Qâsem Ferdowsi (AD 940 – 1020) about a king who survived by eating
people’s brains! A metaphorical story about autocratic governments that we’ve seen all
around the world. It is inspired by the ancient Persian storytelling style Naghali along
with Western physical theater and live jazz music. Originally rehearsed in 2020, we
never got a chance to thoroughly rehearse the show and perform it for live audiences
due to the Covid-19 pandemic. An incomplete production version was filmed and
streamed online in March 2021 and received rave reviews from the press and scholars
worldwide. Now we are deeply happy to have the opportunity to perform the complete
version of this production live at A.R.T. and will be very grateful to YOU for joining us
on this journey.
In January 2020, we decided to produce and share the story of Zahhak with you in
response to what was happening politically in Iran and the United States, especially
between the two governments. Unfortunately, today, this story is even more relevant to
what is happening in IRAN. Here at the Boston Experimental Theater, we would love to
dedicate this production to everyone in Iran who is fighting for their human rights and
shouting: WOMEN, LIFE, FREEDOM!
Shahnameh, the most celebrated epic poem in Iran, chronicles the first fifty monarchs
in Iran’s history; Zahhak, one of the poem’s most popular stories, describes the reign
of the eponymous demon-possessed fourth king of Persia. It is written and directed by
Vahdat Yeganeh and performed by Iranian actress Donya Pooli-Yeganeh and Turkish
pianist Engin Ozsahin, who also contributes original music. Audiences are invited to
consider this philosophical, psychological, and political Persian mythology in relation to
themselves, to experience the power of storytelling, and to consider the Essential Question
framing A.R.T.’s production of Life of Pi: How does telling stories help us cope
and survive?
In coordination with Boston Experimental Theatre, Zahhak: the Legend of the
Serpent King is presented as part of A.R.T.’s Dialogue of
Civilizations programming, which creates environments for international artists and
thinkers to explore the dynamics of the interplay between their cultures. The Dialogue
of Civilizations initiative aims to spark global understanding and empathy to foster a
future of symbiotic cultural development and exchange. With this play, artists from
different cultures celebrate overlooked Persian literature in America to embody and
present the work with the sensibilities, experiences, and ideas of different civilizations.
This production is the Boston Experimental Theatre Company’s surrealist adaptation
of Ferdowsi’s story. Boston Experimental Theatre Company (BETC) was founded in
2008 to get back to basics and bring theater to life through the process. Inspired by
Antonin Artaud and his concept of Theater of Cruelty and Jerzy Grotowski and his
concept of Poor Theater, BETC rehearsals always begin in an empty space with the
director, actors, and designers engaging in exercises that explore their thoughts and
feelings and allow relationships to develop; shows grows organically from this intimate
and intense atmosphere. BETC believes Theater must be a space where actors and
spectators can connect meaningfully to their dreams and emotions at the deepest level.
BETC productions aim to foster meaningful communication between the actors and the
audience to inspire a collective exploration of feelings held captive in the body and the
unconscious. Every element of our performance comes from repetitive, naturally driven
improvisational exercises so that each facet of the production flows out of a personal,
earnest passion for the project. Ultimately, the goal for this production is to become a
collective dream among the artists and YOU, the audience.
Zahhak, the Legend of Serpent King, is a new adaptation that attempts to study this
philosophical, psychological, and political Persian mythology in relation to ourselves at
this time. In the story of Zahhak, Ferdowsi challenges the history of Iran both
sociologically and politically. He symbolically attacks societies that have created and
recreated despotic governments for centuries. With his stories, Ferdowsi does not just
attack kings, governments, and rulers of Iran. He also points to societies that make
serpent kings, then feed and praise them for thousands of years. Alas, 2023 marks
1003 years since Ferdowsi’s death, and in the time since his death, Zahhak, the serpent
king, has lived, governed, and killed millions of people all around the world. From Iran
to Afghanistan, Turkey, Syria, Russia, China, Korea, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, from the
East to the West, and from Europe to Africa, we have seen the rise and death of many
serpent kings. And now, even here in our beloved United States of America, not only did
we witness the rise of a despotic government, but we also see people who applaud the
rise of this new serpent government. With this production, we hope to explore the
nature of Evil at a time when we most need to remember where it comes from!
After three years of work in progress, it would be very meaningful to us if you could see
this production and share with us your honest thoughts and feelings. We believe theatre
is an interpersonal relationship between performers and audiences. Because of this, we
rely on your present energy and feedback!
After the January 14 performance, there will be a post-show conversation with Siamak
Movahedi, Ph.D., FIPA, entitled The Ghost of Zahhak in the Age of
Totalitarianism. Brief post-show conversations with the company will follow all other
performances.
About Our Shahnameh Project:
At the turn of the second millennium, the Persian poet Abolqasem Ferdowsi (940-
1020 AD) composed his masterpiece, the Shahnameh, which would become the most
celebrated work of epic poetry in Iran. This text chronicles the first fifty kings (or, more
accurately, monarchs, as a few of them are queens) in Iran’s history. Beginning with
mythological narratives of early rulers at the dawn of man, the nine-volume poem of
over 50,000 lines evolves into a more historically accurate account, chronicling Persian
history up through the Arab conquest of the seventh century. Ferdowsi fills the
historical epic with lush poetic couplets and profound moral witticisms. In the story
of Zahhak, he describes the reign of the eponymous demon-possessed fourth king of
Persia. Zahhak is one of the most popular stories in the Shahnameh, a terrifying,
heroic narrative with psychological insights into the nature of evil and inspiring
philosophy of how to overcome it.
Our Shahnameh projects started in 2014 as part of our mission to practice and study
Dariush Shayegan’s philosophy of Dialogue of Civilizations, a set of ideals that
encourages creating an environment for international artists and thinkers to explore
the dynamics of the interplay between their cultures. This artistic and intellectual work
attempts to spark global understanding and empathy to foster a future of symbiotic
cultural development and exchange. With the Shahnameh plays, we bring together
artists from different cultures to celebrate overlooked Persian literature in America and
to embody and present the work with the sensibilities, experiences, and ideas of
different civilizations. Our first two adaptations from Shahnameh were produced and
performed at Touch Art Gallery, Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis (BGSP),
Boston University (BU), and the University of Massachusetts, Boston (UMass Boston) in
2014-2015. An early version of our current production was streamed online in 2021.
Cheers to more dialogue,
Boston Experimental Theatre
Vahdat Yeganeh, Donya Pooli Yeganeh, Engin Ozsahin
“I found the show quite revealing of how the language of mythology has different
energies and transformations across cultures. There is much to explore in the way
Vahdat Yeganeh’s theatrical sensibility has been shaped by his exposure to archetypes in
the Iranian context. And this finds expression in his use of color and the strange affinity
to the dream-like score of the piano by Engin Ozsahin.” Rustom Bharucha-writer,
director and cultural critic. Author of ‘Theatre and the World’ and ‘The Politics of
Cultural Practice’.
“Located at the interstices of theatre, music, and storytelling, it wove a compelling story
with movement and sound.” Dr.Robert Lublin-Professor of Theatre Arts, College of
Liberal Arts, University of Massachusetts Boston
“This show reaches into the bones and invites of the breath and is worth embracing
mutliple times.” Tamera Marko-Executive Director of the Elma Lewis Center, Emerson
College
“I recommend watching the production twice. It is worth it as the richness of the
production increases the second time and no doubt the third too.” Heather Waters-
editor at The Theatre Times.
The Making of the Zahhak, by Engin Ozsahin (Music Director)
An Inspiration by Antonin Artaud
