REZA SHIRMARZ
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  • Home
  • Publication
    • Plays
    • Books
    • Translations
    • Articles
    • Poems
  • Bio
    • Resume
  • Memberships
  • Awards
  • News
    • Interview
  • Photography
  • Teaching
  • Other Writings
    • Writers >
      • Playwrights
      • Poets
      • Novelists
    • Books >
      • Drama & Theater
      • Communication
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YOUR CART

    Upcoming Performance: Muzzled by Reza Shirmarz at the Theatre of the Absurd Festival

    May 21–25, 2025 | Chopin Theatre, Chicago
    Muzzled will be featured in the upcoming Theatre of the Absurd Festival, presented by Gwydion Theatre and hosted at the renowned Chopin Theatre in Chicago along with other well-known playwrights such as Albee, Pinter, Beckett, Havel, etc. The performance directed by Prof. Michael Brown will run four times between May 21 and May 25, 2025. Muzzled is a politically charged response to Samuel Beckett’s Catastrophe, originally written in solidarity with imprisoned writers around the world. It interrogates systems of control, censorship, and complicity through a minimalist yet haunting theatrical language. This event brings together bold, boundary-pushing works that challenge traditional narratives and celebrate the power of the absurd. Click to read more...
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    "Theater is a microcosm of a macrocosm called life."
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    Theater is the art that reflects life itself. It is a living creature which utilizes elements like the body, movement, makeup, costumes, lighting, and language—drawn from real life—to symbolically explore both the virtues and vices of humanity in an artistic form. Throughout history, theater has evolved in countless ways, shaped by different periods and cultures, always adapting to resonate with its audience. No other art form connects with people on such a deep level and captures their needs and desires with such immediacy as theater does. It is a living entity that forms a profound bond with human beings and undergoes continuous transformation in an ever-evolving process...
                                                          From The Philosophy of Theater by Reza Shirmarz


    Visual Theater
    ​"To get closer to Robert Wilson's theater, we need to think through our eyes."

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    Although Robert Wilson’s work is profoundly audiovisual, his role as a trailblazer in challenging and redefining traditions makes his creations difficult to measure or analyze through conventional aesthetic frameworks. Wilson’s theater distinctively blends the elements of traditional theater with performance art. To truly appreciate his bold innovations and daring designs, it helps to understand various aspects of global theater history, especially the theories of Richard Wagner. Wilson’s style uniquely draws from influences like John Cage’s experimentalism and Samuel Beckett’s minimalism and eventually, he manages to create a theater that is rooted in tradition but boldly forward-thinking...

    From I Think through My Eyes: A Research on Robert Wilson's Visual Theater by Reza Shirmarz

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    MUZZLED
    A play by
    ​Reza Shirmarz

    Index On Censorship
    January 2022
    A short extract
    ​​I’ve been having the same  nightmare most nights, since they’ve banned my plays and threatened my producers, my crew, my friends, my family… I saw myself chained by each wrist, I’m pulled apart and my body is about to be torn into two pieces. I struggle to get rid of the chains. The more movements I make, the more I’m pulled apart. I can see the blood gushing from the cracks of my chest and belly. I struggle to shout wildly and furiously… but they’ve muzzled me. (After a short pause) Eventually, the chains change into strings and two monstrous puppeteers take control of my limbs. They move my head, my hands, and my feet. They have control over all my actions and thoughts. They even speak for me. They move my lips and say the things I never meant. Then, their voice changes into whistles. They whistle so loudly that I can’t take it anymore, I try to get rid of the strings, but the more movements I make, the more they take me under control.
    Click to read Muzzled for free on Index On Censorship...
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    For the past twenty years, I've immersed myself in the world of theater and literature, wearing many hats—playwright, translator, researcher, and educator. My journey has been one of relentless creativity and scholarship. I have yielded over forty published books and seven more still waiting in the wings, along with several articles and essays. While playwriting and theater-making have been my passions, a shift in my focus began about a decade ago. I found myself increasingly captivated by the theoretical aspects of theater and drama, particularly in how they intersect with the complex realm of communication. This blend of creative and academic pursuits has fueled my dedication to exploring how stories told on stage resonate, connect, and communicate across audiences and cultures.

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    ​Click to read on my weblog: 
    ​​Drama, Theater, and Communication

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    As a playwright
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    I began writing realistic plays, such as Cinnamon Stars, Crystal Vines, and The Lanterns Are Weeping, to express my sociopolitical views on the status quo. Though these plays are rooted in realism, they allow directors the creative freedom to stage them in non-realistic styles. These plays bring out layers of meaning that extend beyond the literal. This trilogy took nearly a decade to complete. Each play traces an arc of transformation in its characters and portrays their evolution from beginning to end. Together, the trilogy captures distinct periods of post-revolutionary Iran and reflects the nation’s shifting landscapes and undercurrents. Notably, while realism grounds the trilogy, elements of antirealism weave through it and opens a dynamic space where reality and metaphor intersect...
    Click to read more...

    As a translator
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    Over the past twenty years, I have translated numerous plays, books, articles, poems, and more from English to Farsi. My translations span a wide range—from classic playwrights like Aristophanes, Menander, and Plautus to contemporary voices such as George Bernard Shaw, Edward Bond, Clifford Odets, and Iakovos Kambanellis. In addition to dramatic works, I’ve also translated books on voice and speech, as well as guides to the art of playwriting and have shared these valuable resources with Farsi-speaking readers...
    ​Click to read more...


    As an author
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    Over the past two decades, my tireless efforts have resulted in numerous books on theater and drama in Persian. Among them, Stage Speech: Practical Exercises draws on years of research and my experiences teaching voice and speech in various workshops. In fact, it offers practical guidance for performers. Another significant work, I Think Through My Eyes, is the first book in Farsi dedicated to the visual theater of American avant-garde director Robert Wilson. This book provides a comprehensive analysis of Wilson’s major works, exploring their performative, textual, vocal, musical, and aesthetic dimensions. Through it, I aim to open new perspectives on Wilson’s unique approach to theater for Persian readers.
    ​Click to read more...

    As an educator
    PictureWith Mohammad Nuri
    For over two decades, I have been dedicated to teaching drama and theater. As a published expert in voice and speech training, I’ve led workshops in Iran through which I have guided more than 100 students in their vocal development. These workshops, shaped by my personal experiences and enriched through years of practice, served as the foundation for two books I’ve published on the subject. In addition to my work in theater, I was trained as a classical singer under the guidance of Alireza Shafaghinezad, a renowned Iranian conductor, composer, and music educator, as well as Mohammad Nuri, a legendary Iranian singer. Over the course of 10 years, I refined my skills in vocal performance. Some of my students have gone on to become professional actors, presenters, and spokespersons. They have built successful careers in the entertainment industry over the past few years.



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    ​Click to read more about
    me on Wikipedia

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