Khaseb’s Solo Show Wins in German Event

Iranian performance artist Yaser Khaseb won the top place at the THESPIS International Monodrama Festival.

Khaseb, 35, head of theater troupe ‘Crazy Body’, received the First Place Award at the 10th edition of the festival.

The award was given in appreciation of his performance on November 16-17 in Kiel, northern Germany, where the festival was held, Mehr News Agency reported.

The award-winning 30-minute solo performance titled ‘Mysterious Gift’ was a blend of dance, puppetry and mime.

Other participants were from Germany, the US, Belgium, Poland, Algeria, South Africa, Ireland and England among others.

  Mysterious Gift

The Mysterious Gift was created by Khaseb in 2006. He has staged the performance in Europe and the US.

Khaseb’s show comprises several movement-based pieces, making the language barrier inconsequential. He begins with a traditional Iranian performance, offering insight into a rich culture and history.

“His performances encourage the audiences to find human connection through purely physical storytelling. He explores an imaginary spirit in modern context, using breathtaking puppetry to present his battle with the self, and showing how easy it is to lose the battle,” according to the introduction of the show at the website of the festival (thespis.de/en/yaser-khaseb).

“In the finale, Khaseb moves beyond the time and delves into the primal nature of creativity itself.”

  Biennial Competition

The festival was founded in 1999 by the Germany-based Maecenas association as a biennial competition of the most interesting contemporary one-man-shows from all over the world and to present them to the public. The three best performances of the festival are chosen by an international jury and rewarded.

Every other year, the festival presents a program of solo performances, workshops, lectures, symposiums and public discussions in Kiel.

Performers from across the world give the audiences unique insight into the theater traditions of their countries and cultures. To bolster their artistic bonds and expand their cooperation is one of the festival’s declared missions.

THESPIS has served many solo-performers as a springboard for international careers. Though in modest dimensions, the festival has established a respectful position among important international theater festivals.

Yaser Khaseb comes from a family with a background of theater activities. He studied acting and mime at Tonkabon University in Iran (2002-2006). His work incorporates dance, mime, theater, and puppetry.