Jalal Tehrani


Jalal Tehrani is an Iranian playwright, theatre director, and educator. He is known for experimental works that emphasize theatrical form and structure. According to the International Journal of Middle East Studies, he has contributed to the development of Iran’s independent theatre through his institute Maktab Tehran.

Early life and education

Tehrani was born in Tehran in August 1968. Before pursuing theatre, he studied electronics and worked in product design. He later earned a master’s degree in Dramatic Literature.

Career

Early writing and directing

Tehrani began as a theatre critic in the late 1990s before publishing his first play, The Boatman, in 1998.
His directorial debut was Nefertiti, staged at the City Theater of Tehran. He subsequently directed The Tank and Single Cells. The Tank was later revived at Maktab Tehran, an event covered by the *Financial Tribune*.

Maktab Tehran

In 2010, Tehrani founded Maktab Tehran, an institute that includes a theatre hall, rehearsal studios, a publishing unit, and training programs. Scholars note that such private institutions reflect broader changes in Iran’s theatre landscape.

Later works

His later productions include Cinderella, Kite Hunting Season, Around the World in Eighty Days, and Silver.
In 2014, Tehrani’s adaptation of Cinderella was staged in Tehran, reported by *The Iran Project*.
The play has also been subject to academic analysis in Iran.

Style and philosophy

Tehrani’s works are characterized by an emphasis on form and structure rather than explicit themes. His scripts often use stylized language that critics describe as poetic and unconventional. The international journal *Critical Stages* highlights his strategies for addressing censorship in Iranian theatre.

International reception

Single Cells was staged at the Silk Road Festival in Ruhr and later presented at Iran Cultural Week in Berlin.
The play was later published in French under the title Les unicellulaires.

Selected works

  • The Boatman – his first published play
  • Nefertiti – directorial debut at Tehran’s City Theater
  • The Tank
  • Single Cells – staged internationally; later published in French as Les unicellulaires
  • Cinderella – adaptation staged in Tehran