A play, ‘Metastasis’ directed by Ali-Asghar Dashti will go on stage from October 31, to raise social awareness on cancer. It is focused on the emotional effects of companionship on victims of the disease.
Dashti got the idea after seeing the increasing cases of cancer among actors as well as their relatives. The play is based on the first reaction of patients “the moment they were informed that they had the disease,” ISNA quoted him as saying.
“Gradually I realized the vast emotional dimensions of the disease, after talking to family members and companions of cancer victims,” Dashti said. It was decided to have several people in each performance, narrating “their feelings of fellowship.”
Metastasis, or metastatic disease, is the spread of a cancer or other diseases from one organ to another not directly connected. Cancer occurs after a single cell in a tissue is genetically damaged to produce cells with uncontrolled proliferation by mitosis, which produces a primary heterogenic tumor.
The damaged cells proliferate based on a Fibonacci order, where numbers increase in an ascending sequence.
Inspired by Fibonacci numbers, the play will be staged in a similar increasing order of frequency, Dashti said, adding: “It will be staged 54 times and in different venues for four months, to simulate the progress of metastasis.” This is not merely a show, but a theatre campaign to spread awareness on the disease, he said.
“The play is different from my other professional works. Two safety pins are symbols for the campaign as they are used to attach things together,” showing companionship, Dashti said inviting artists and athletes to join the movement.
Arash Vafadari, producer of the play, said the theme of the project “answers my own social concerns too. Long ago, I was also a victim of cancer and witnessed my family’s companionship and the effects.”
He said the show is a huge movement, to draw attention to cancer patients “living around us and a sort of reminder.”
‘Metastasis’ will start with four shows on October 31 at City Theatre Hall and continue in a “Fibonacci sequence” at Baran, Shams, Mohsen, Arghanoon and Molavi Theatre Halls.
