Upcoming Dance

Displaying items by tag: Michael Shayan

Subscribe to this RSS feed
Sunday, 26 January 2025 12:48

Avaaz: A Powerful and Personal Tribute to a Mother’s Journey

In ‘Avaaz,’ Michael Shayan plays the role of his own larger-than-life mother, Roya, welcoming audiences into her home to celebrate the Iranian New Year. This heartfelt and hilarious production is written and performed by Shayan and directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel, running January 21-February 9, 2025 in the Upstairs Studio.

One of the things I have always enjoyed and admired most about Chicago Shakespeare Theatre is their willingness to bring fresh ways to experience Shakespeare’s classic works as well as bringing new works and voices to the stage. Avaaz, which opened on Jan. 24, is no exception. And we are the better for it.

It is the first time that Chicago Shakes has welcomed to its stage an Iranian-American playwright, Michael Shayan, as he shares the story of his mother, an Iranian-Jewish immigrant, and her deeply personal journey from Tehran to “Tehran-geles,” California. 

Shayan, who is an Emmy-nominated and Harvard-trained writer and actor, not only wrote the play, but he also is the star of this one-person production with his energetic and engaging portrayal of his larger-than-life mother, Roya. It is funny, life-affirming, joyous, yet at times, tragic, as Shayan grapples with his mother’s experiences in forging a new life in America, while also exploring his complicated relationship with his mother.

We first meet Roya before the show even begins as she sashays through the audience in her glittering gold kaftan, welcoming playgoers and encouraging them to join her in shimmying their shoulders to the pulsing Iranian music. (In fact, before the performance on Jan. 28, there is a free workshop to learn Middle Eastern dancing.) We are there to party with Roya, as she prepares for the celebration of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, which is all about renewal and rebirth.

The centerpiece of Nowruz is the Haft Sin table, and indeed, that elaborate buffet is also the focal point of the set. Throughout the 90-minute production, Roya moves about the Haft Sin table, explaining the symbolism of seven food items on the table while interweaving her story.

Appropriately, Avaaz means “voice,” and we are hearing Roya’s voice as she shares about her life growing up in Teheran (the best city in Iran, she affirms), her beloved father’s imprisonment for his activism during the Iranian revolution, her loveless arranged and abusive marriage, and her underlying desire to make a better life for her son. As Roya, Shayan brings her story to life with equal doses of humor and compassion and the audience is immediately captivated.

For Shayan, the production is his heartfelt tribute to his mother. While growing up, Shayan said his mother never really talked to him about his past. At one point, he asked if he could interview her, and once the recorder was turned on, Roya opened up. The subsequent interview became the impetus for the piece. In fact, the play closes with snippets from that original recording and we hear Roya’s own voice as well.

While Shayan says the play is at its core about the mother-son relationship, is also touches on the ongoing women-led revolution happening in Iran right now. In many respects, Shayan says, what Roya experienced 40 years ago in Iran parallels what is going on now.

“One call coming out of Iran is to ‘be our voice,’ and I think that’s part of what we can contribute as artists – in some small way, I can help amplify the voices of those who are crying out for ‘Woman. Life. Freedom,’” he said.

Chicago Shakes is one of the many planned stops for the production on its inaugural national tour. Directed by Tony Award nominee, Moritz Von Stuelpnagel, Avaaz is one of those theatre experiences that lingers with you long after the performance is over. You leave the theatre grateful you were invited to be part of Roya’s world and culturally enriched because of it.

Avaaz is playing at Chicago Shakespeare through Feb. 9. Visit here for more information.

Published in Theatre in Review
Read more...
Monday, 23 December 2024 13:03

Presenting AVAAZ, written and performed by Emmy Award nominee Michael Shayan

Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents Olney Theatre Center's production of Avaaz, a "powerful, defiant, celebratory" (Washington Post) exploration of family and the immigrant experience. The production is written and performed by Emmy Award nominee and Out Magazine OUT 100 honoree Michael Shayan and directed by Tony Award nominee Moritz von Stuelpnagel, and runs January 21– February 9, 2025 in the Carl and Marilynn Thoma Upstairs Studio.

In Avaaz, Michael Shayan—playing the role of his own larger-than-life Iranian-Jewish mother, Roya—welcomes audiences into her home to celebrate Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. She's preparing a feast, but the main attraction is the story of her great American journey from Tehran to "Tehran-geles," California. What follows is a hilarious and touching tribute, exuberantly portrayed by the person who knows her best—her son. Hailed as "ingenious" and "masterful" by BroadwayWorld and DC Theater Arts, this radiantly queer celebration of resilience, rebirth, and joy is at once deeply personal and universal.

"It's an honor to take Avaaz across the country with Moritz and this incredible team, particularly at a time of overwhelming anti-immigrant sentiment," says Shayan. "Avaaz offers a different narrative and grapples with complex truths in a fabulous, decadent, larger-than life party on stage. I can't wait to share the magic of 'Tehrangeles' with audiences in Chicago and beyond!"

"Michael's story is enlightening, entertaining, and will fill even the darkest winter evening with light," said CST's artistic director Edward Hall. "It's a unique perspective on the immigrant experience from a hugely talented performer and artist. I'm so happy to be sharing this with Chicago audiences and inviting you all to a thought-provoking celebration that discusses such complex issues with imagination and joy."

Michael Shayan is a queer Iranian-American writer and performer from Los Angeles who was recently recognized by Out Magazine on the OUT100 list of the most "impactful and influential LGBTQ+ people." He was nominated for an Emmy Award for the Discovery+ series The Book of Queer and also worked on the Emmy Award-winning HBO series We're Here. A fellow with the Sundance Institute, Shayan is writing a new play commission for Audible, and his work has been seen and developed at theaters including La MaMa, New York Stage and Film, Rattlestick, The Lark, Project Y, Dixon Place and Art House, among others. He was a Lambda Literary LGBTQ Voices Fellow in Playwriting, and his work has been featured in The Advocate Magazine.

One of the most in-demand directors nationwide, Moritz von Stuelpnagel returns to Chicago Shakespeare after last season's Judgment Day. His other credits include the Broadway productions Bernhardt/Hamlet, Present Laughter, Hand to God, for which he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Director, and most recently, I Need That starring Danny DeVito. Off-Broadway credits include Seared, The Thanksgiving Play, Teenage Dick, Important Hats of the 20th Century, and Verité.

The design team for Avaaz includes scenic designer Beowulf Boritt, a two-time Tony Award winner (Act One, New York, New York) who returns to CST after Judgment Day; costume designer Joshua "Domino" Schwartz, a two-time Emmy Award winner for HBO's We're Here; lighting designer Amith Chandrashaker, a Tony Award nominee for Prayer for the French Republic who returns to CST after Judgment Day; and sound design by UptownWorks (Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill at Baltimore Center Stage). They are joined on the creative team by associate director Aria Velz, tour manager Jerid Fox, and stage managers Allison Ann Bailey and Phillip Snider.
 

CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER (CST)

A Regional Tony Award recipient, Chicago Shakespeare Theater produces a bold and innovative year-round season that includes Shakespeare, original plays, musicals, family programming, and international theatrical events. CST is committed to serving as a cultural center across its three stages—the 700+ seat Yard, 500 seat Jentes Family Courtyard Theater, and the 200 seat Carl and Marilynn Thoma Theater Upstairs as well as in classrooms, neighborhoods, and venues around the world. CST has a deep commitment to education and lifelong learning with robust programming for students, teachers, and lifelong learners, and engagement with communities across the city. Onstage, in classrooms and neighborhoods across the city, and in venues around the world, Chicago Shakespeare is a multifaceted theater—inviting audiences, artists, and community members to share powerful stories that illuminate the complexities, ambiguities, and wonders of our world. www.chicagoshakes.com
Published in Upcoming Theatre
Read more...

 

 

         17 Years and counting!

Register

 

Fat Ham at Goodman Theatre: Bold, Hilarious, and Heartfelt

 

At CIBC Theatre December 10th-15!

 

     

Latest Articles

Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.