“The Case of the Crushed Petunias” arises at Tehran theater

TEHRAN –(Iranart)- American writer Tennessee Williams’ short comedy play “The Case of the Crushed Petunias” is on stage at Tehran’s Mehregan Theater.

Puya Purhamedani is the director of the play starring Mojtaba Karimi, Sara Judat, Farid Golriz, Mehran Mahjub, Mina Nojavan, Rasul Abed and Nilufar Delir.

The Case of the Crushed Petunias was written in 1941 and is the story of Dorothy Simple, a woman trapped in her job at a prim and proper shop in Massachusetts. 

She has barricaded her house and heart behind a double row of petunias. Today, however, she has woken up to find every single petunia crushed by the footprints of a size-eleven-D shoe.

When the perpetrator, a young man, arrives to confess his crime, he comes on a mission to alert Miss Dorothy to the “miraculous accident of being alive.” Armed with poetry, seeds for wild roses, and a business card from “LIFE, INCORPORATED,” the young man endeavors to convince Miss Dorothy of the tremendous inspiration that lies beyond what one can buy or sell in a shop with four walls.

Williams’ plays have always been regarded by Iranian stage directors and theatrical troupes.

A reading performance of his memorable play, “The Glass Menagerie”, directed by Romina Jahandideh went on stage at Tehran’s Jamshid Mashayekhi Theater on Saturday.

The play translated into Persian by Hamid Samandarian was also directed by his wife, Homa Rusta, in 1972.

In July 2020, director/actor Hamed Sheikhi merged Persian play “Shut up, Honey!” and Williams’ “The Case of the Crushed Petunias” and “Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen” to stage a play named “Talk to Me” at Tehran’s Malek Theater.

source: Tehran Times