Matryoshka (play)
Matryoshka is a Persian-language satire based on selected short stories of Anton Chekhov, translated, written, and directed by Parsa Pirouzfar. The play has over 30 characters all performed by the playwright and the theatre director Parsa Pirouzfar in its theatrical production.
The play
Matryoshka first premiered on 13 September 2015 at Theatre West, as a solo performance, in Los Angeles. The play subsequently ran for two years in the US cities of Los Angeles, San Diego, and Berkeley as well as Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal in Canada in 2015 and 2016; and finally, after multiple performances finished its staging in Tehran in Iran in 2017.Matryoshka was particularly important to Parsa Pirouzfar's career. His performance playing over 30 characters of the play all by himself was unique. Matryoshka earned Parsa Pirouzfar the Golden Statue Award for Best Actor in the 35th Celebration of the annual Fajr International Theatre Festival in Tehran, Iran in 2017.
Episodes
- The Death of a Government Clerk
- How Dmitry Kuldarov became famous overnight?
- The Trial
- Cyclothymia Periodic Insanity
- The Settlement
- A Noble Woman Who Left Us
- A Masterpiece of Art
- The Chameleon
Date of performances
United States
- 1st Performance: Theatre West, Los Angeles, 13, 20 and 27 September 2015
- 2nd Performance: Theatre West, Los Angeles, 9 January 2016
- 3rd Performance:, North County San Diego, 30 April 2016
- 4th Performance:, Berkeley, 14 and 15 May 2016
Canada
- 1st Performance: Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, 2 October 2015
- 2nd Performance:, Montreal, 10 October 2015
- 3rd Performance: Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, 22 January 2016
- 4th Performance:, Vancouver, 24 April 2016
Iran
- 1st Performance: Iranshahr Amphitheatre, Tehran, From 5 September to 7 October 2016
- 2nd Performance: Paliz Amphitheatre, Tehran, From 1 November 2016 to 30 January 2017
- 3rd Performance: Paliz Amphitheatre, Tehran, From 30 July to 15 September 2017
- 4th Performance: Iranshahr Amphitheatre, Tehran, From 17 to 28 September 2017
Characters
1st episode:- Ivan Ivanovich Cherbiyakov
- Pyotr Petrovich
- General Brizyalov
- Yuliya
- Dmitry Kuldarov
- Zalikhvatsky
- Dmitry Kul'darov
- Nikolay
- Maman
- Judge
- Otchumiyelov
- Sidorchel Met'sov
- Okhov
- Witness in the court
- Witness in the court
- Simiyon Maksimov
- Dmitry Kul'darov
- Piyotr Petrovich
- Konderashkin
- Doctor
- Doctor
- Yuliya Vasiliyevna
- Father Grigory
- Semiyon Maksimov
- Piyotr Petrovich
- Kopertsov
- Doctor
- Sasha
- Okhov
- Shashkin
- Zalikhvatski
- Dmitry Kul'darov
- Yeldirin
- General Zhigalov
- Sasha
- Prokhor
- Dog of general Zhigalov
Pre-production
- Director: Parsa Pirouzfar
- Playwright and Translator: Parsa Pirouzfar
- Line producer: Noureddin Heidari Maher
- Stage Designer: Parsa Pirouzfar
- Costume Designer: Parsa Pirouzfar
Cast and Production
- Actor: Parsa Pirouzfar
- Assistant director: Mohamad Goudarziyani
- Executive Producer: Noureddin Heidari Maher
- Assistant Costume Designer: Bahareh Mosadeqiyan
- Stage Manager: Arash Safaei
- Graphic Designer and Photographer: Sadeq Zarjouyan
Awards
- The 35th 'Fajr Theatre Festival', 2017