They may be from cultures and countries that sometimes clash, but Canadian and Iranian performers are finding common ground in Calgary.
Members of the Zendegi Theater Company have travelled from Tehran to create a new show with members of Calgary’s Sun Ergos Theatre.
The piece, which involves dialogue, dance and music, is called The Chairs and is based on a traditional Iranian tale that goes back centuries.
“It’s called The Conference of the Birds,” Sun Ergos’ Bob Greenwood said. “And basically, it’s a bird who gathers all the birds, and they go on a series of adventures.”
The project grew out of a trip Sun Ergos members made to Iran in 2014, visiting the country to perform and teach Iranian actors.
“It was an amazing experience,” Greenwood said. “People were just so welcoming, so helpful.”
Sun Ergos later invited Zendegi performers to visit Calgary, with the two groups now spending two weeks working together to create The Chairs.
The project is intended “to celebrate the differences and recognize the similarities in order to break down prejudice,” Sun Ergos’ Dana Luebke said.
The Iranian performers also feel it’s important to build connections between their country and Canada.
“We can deepen our culture and make a new one with more knowledge of other cultures,” Zendegi’s Jafar Mahyari said. “Artists are the ambassadors of culture.”
“The world is in such a mess at the moment that it would be nice if we could all like each other a little bit, instead of hating each other all the time,” Greenwood added.
The performers will present The Chairs at the cSpace Arts Centre in southwest Calgary at 7:30 p.m. on April 24 and 25.
“It feels good that two groups of people from two different countries that are far away from each other come together and do something together,” Zendegi’s Ava Nagafi said.
Luebke feels that others might learn from the project, saying: “If the politicians and the governments cannot talk to each other and find common ground, it’s left to the rest of us to do that.”