by Anne-Charlotte Gerbaud
In Saria Callas, Seemia Theatre and Sara Amini ship a strong solo present that explores id, reminiscence, and freedom. This multimedia manufacturing traces the journey of Saria, who fled Iran to flee a lifetime of restriction, solely to understand that her determination may additionally have paved the way in which for her little one to reside freely in methods she couldn’t have imagined.
Using a mix of storytelling, music, and movies, Saria remembers her childhood, formed by the oppressive constructions of her homeland, the place ladies are forbidden from singing and dancing. Defiance flares at occasions, from secret dances on a faculty journey to mendacity to guard classmates. Using any alternative to sing and dance, Saria turns into the voice behind the decision to prayer, feeling for a quick second like a star: Saria Callas, her personal reinvention of Maria Callas.
But the story darkens. Finding herself implementing the restrictions she needs to withstand, she decides to go away the nation to hunt freedom to construct a life on her personal phrases. She goes to France, Poland, and finally London, the place she raises the kid she had with a Polish artist who needed her to get an abortion.
Woven by this private historical past is her relationship along with her little one. A visit to Iran turns into a turning level when the kid is mocked for not appearing “like a man,” and the once-close bond begins to pressure. She later finds them in a state of affairs she will be able to’t fairly identify, however one thing feels “off.” Eventually, the kid comes out as trans.
The play builds to a second of reckoning: will she repeat the cycle of silence and disgrace she herself
suffered, or will she select a special path? The piece ends and not using a clear reply, however with a hopeful
chorus: Queen’s “I Want To Break Free”.
Directed with readability and carried out with nuance, Saria Callas unfolds with robust pacing, punctuated by music and visible parts that anchor the emotional journey. The twist concerning the kid’s id is sensitively dealt with, subtly foreshadowed but completely in tune with the play’s themes. Alongside the household story runs a broader commentary on what it means to be an artist below an autocratic regime, how creativity should contort itself to outlive, and the way self-expression can turn into each an act of revolt and a supply of hazard.
At its coronary heart, it is a story about cycles: how simply we turn into what we as soon as resisted, and the way troublesome it’s to interrupt free. It’s concerning the high quality line between safety and management, and about selecting
love over concern when confronted with the unknown.
“Who are you doing this for?” The piece appears to ask not simply of the character, however of the viewers
too. Saria Callas reminds us that freedom just isn’t a vacation spot however a call, one which should be made
many times.
Saria Callas ran by 17 May.
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