“Andy Warhol in Iran” Takes Us Back – And Forward…By Anna Hessel and Wes Hessel
Northlight Theatre delivers an intense production of “Andy Warhol in Iran”. Based on an actual trip by the cultural icon in 1976 to take pictures of the Empress, the wife of the Shah of Iran, for a portrait to be painted, this absorbing theatrical one-act work is imagining of what could have happened in an encounter with a young Iranian man in Warhol’s Tehran hotel room.
Both actors, Rob Lindley as the title character and Hamid Dehghani as Farhad, infuse their characters with realistic motivation and very credible angst, eventually revealing their respective battle scars, both physical and emotional. Andy Warhol is portrayed in a more sympathetic fashion, a human being, flawed like the rest of us, rather than the arrogant and controversial enigma that is more often than not how Mr. Warhol is perceived. The play makes no judgement of either character; both men have demons that color how they survive in society. The chemistry created between the two men is amazing; I felt as if Andy was in the room.
In the play, Mr. Warhol is seen as desperate to erase his past of poverty, reliving his fifteen minutes of fame over and over again. A poignant moment comes when the artist reveals his reason for painting the iconic Campbell’s soup can, calling a tin full of soup a miracle, since he grew up on watered-down Heinz ketchup in a bowl. References to nine-dollar caviar and a drawer full of free peanuts from the plane give the audience others hint into Warhol’s impoverished upbringing in the neighborhood known as South Oakland.
There are also many comedic moments, amongst them a humorous bit involving lamps, and another a well delivered line about Andy being from Pittsburgh, which lighten the intense drama. I am a native of the Steel City and found this mention of my hometown ironically charming. The elements of levity blend in beautifully with the heavy dramatic scenes, never taking away from the play’s message.
Once again, Northlight brings us the very finest in socially conscious theater, entertaining and profound. With an amazing set designed by Todd Rosenthal and stellar direction by Northlight Artistic Director BJ Jones, “Andy Warhol in Iran” is engaging, and yet disturbing in commenting on where we need to have revolution but without the violence. As a Persian Jewish woman from Pittsburgh, this theatrical work really hit home for me in many ways.
Come early to watch related video in the lobby, and take a picture in front of the infamous soup creation as a photo backdrop. The production has just been extended until February 26th, but that is still coming soon, so take the time to see this great play. For tickets or more information, please visit their website at www.northlight.org, and to help support the cause for human rights in Iran, led by courageous women, see these sites: www.iranrights.org, www.iranhumanrights.org., and www.hengaw.net/en.
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