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‘Crushed Petunias’ on Stage Again

‘Crushed Petunias’ on Stage Again
‘Crushed Petunias’ on Stage Again

A play by well known American playwright Tennessee Williams ‘The Case of the Crushed Petunias’, directed by  Maziar Qalami, is on stage again at Tehran’s Fanoos Theatre Hall.

A lyrical fantasy, the 1941 short drama is the story of Dorothy Simple, proud owner of the Simple Notions shop in “prim and proper” Massachusetts. She is a woman trapped in her own phobias and fears whose dull existence is suddenly interrupted by a young man, reports Honaronline.

The story ends with joyful absurdity. Dorothy is shaken from her dull existence and stifling job by the enthusiastic stranger who convinces her to take a chance in life.

Williams’ works are generally focused on social and behavioral-psychological problems of people in different social strata. “My interest in social issues drove me to work on this play,” Qalami said, adding that it is rarely performed in Iran.

He said some changes have been made to the performance, which begins with the trampled petunias. “At the end, it is discovered that this has been done by a mysterious stranger, with rather a social and spiritual purpose.”

The prim and proper shop is replaced with a greenhouse and the atmosphere and lighting is presented in the Noir style (Hollywood crime dramas style) showing a schematic setting interpreted from the original text.

“We included motions, visual images and action scenes because the audiences are mostly young students,” Qalami said, who is in the cast along with Ladan Qannad.

The play will run through January 6, 2016 at the hall located at No. 25, Azari St., Haft-e Tir Sq. Tehran.

Financialtribune.com