World Premiere An ambitious international collaboration among artists from Iran, Israel, and the United States
Created by Mahmood Karimi-Hakak, Motti Lerner, Roberta Levitow, Daniel Michaelson, and Torange Yeghiazarian
September 29 - October 21
Thick House, 1695 18th St., San Francisco
November 29- December 9 The NEW LATC Theatre 2, 514 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Reviews "helps to clarify and humanize the multifaceted issues that are drawing our nations into an avoidable conflict" - SF Weekly (read the full review)
Two childhood friends, one Jewish and one Muslim, find themselves estranged and on opposing sides after the 1979 Revolution. Propelled by world events and against a backdrop of an imminent US invasion of Iran , they agree to a secret meeting in a Benedictine monastery in Rome to negotiate a price for safety and freedom.
Given the impossibility of meeting in Iran and the complexities of meeting in Israel, these artists are working in the US to create collaborative theatre in the midst of escalating political conflict amongst their home countries. The piece created offers an opportunity to engage non-violently and creatively with the historical, social, religious and aesthetic dimensions of this crucial inter-relationship. Benedictus explores how the relationship among Iran, Israel, and United States is impacting the world. The work began in the summer of 2005 as the Iran/Israel/US Project , with a two-week residency at Siena College in upstate New York and has continued over the past two years.
