by Nassim Soleimanpour
An Aurora Nova Production
Oct 27 - Mar 31, 2014
No rehearsals.
No director.
No set.
A different actor reads the script cold for the first time at each performance.
Will you participate?
Will you be manipulated?
Will you listen?
Will you really listen?
‘I was born on Azar 19th, 1360 in Tehran. That’s Tehran, December 10th, 1981 in Christian years … ’ Imagine being 29 and forbidden to leave your country. Nassim Soleimanpour dissects the experience of a whole generation in a wild, utterly original play from Iran. Forbidden to travel, he turns his isolation to his own advantage with a play that requires no director, no set and a different actor for every performance.
Cast
October 27th 2013 Anacostia Playhouse Featuring Jennifer Mendenhall*
November 9th 2013 Capitol Hill Arts Workshop Featuring Michael Glenn*
November 16th 2013 Capitol Hill Arts Workshop Featuring Nadia Mahdi
November 23rd 2013 Capitol Hill Arts Workshop Featuring Gwydion Suilebhan
December 2nd 2013 Anacostia Playhouse Featuring Michael Tolaydo*
December 15th 2013 Anacostia Playhouse Featuring Jacobi Howard
January 6th 2014 No Rules Theatre Company at Signature Theatre Featuring Joshua Morgan*
January 12th 2014 1st Stage Theatre Featuring Michael Russotto*
January 19th 2014 dog & pony dc at Source Theatre Featuring Wyckham Avery
February 3rd 2014 The Kennedy Center Featuring Mitchell Hébert*
February 10th 2014 Theater Alliance and Anacostia Playhouse Featuring Adele Robey
February 17th 2014 Taffety Punk Theatre Co. at CHAW Featuring Lise Bruneu*
February 22nd 2014 HUB Theatre Featuring Jenna Sokolowski*
February 24th 2014 Round House Theatre Bethesda Featuring Maboud Ebrahimzadeh
March 10th 2014 Olney Theatre Center Featuring Helen Hedman*
March 16th 2014 Faction of Fools at Gallaudet Featuring Matthew R. Wilson*
March 31st 2014 Keegan Theatre Featuring Timothy H Lynch
About the Playwright
NASSIM SOLEIMANPOUR is an independent multidisciplinary theatre maker from Tehran, Iran. Best known for his play White Rabbit, Red Rabbit, written to travel the world when he couldn’t, his work has been awarded the Dublin Fringe Festival Best New Performance, Summerworks Outstanding New Performance Text Award and The Arches Brick Award (Edinburgh Fringe) as well as picking up nominations for a Total Theatre and Brighton Fringe Pick of Edinburgh Award.
Nassim is an experienced public speaker, most recently as a panelist for the World Theatre Festival Brisbane’s “In Conversation” series.
Currently developing a new play, Nassim lives happily in Tehran with his wife and new puppy.
Press
What They Say
“White Rabbit, Red Rabbit is full of humor, with none of the heaviness one might expect from a work devoted to serious social examination… White Rabbit, Red Rabbit is one you shouldn’t miss the first time around. ... Highly Recommended.
“I loved it for two reasons, because it is something entirely unique, which is nearly impossible to do in this day and age of continuous iteration, and because it asks hugely important questions of the audience about the nature of life itself, which made me laugh and made me think, and made me feel. What more can you ask from any work of theater?”
“One of the most fascinating shows in Washington right now… Theatergoers who are game for a puzzle and a prick of the conscience will want to catch it.”
White Rabbit, Red Rabbit Outreach
The Goal
Simply to involve as many people in the conversation as possible. The power of this piece is heightened when people of all forms of theatrical, political, international, and sociological backgrounds come together to share in it.
The Effort
We invited professors from the DMV area to attend the performances for free. if they are moved by the piece, we would like to bring it to their university. This is a chance to spark campus-wide dialogue with the next generation of great leaders and thinkers.
We also continued our partnership with Calvary Women’s Services. The group came to see a private performance of Rabbit and then had an incredible discussion a few days later about the power of the piece. They decided to write their own play, and wrote an email to Soleimanpour to express their appreciation for his piece.
Dear Nassim,We are part of the Calvary Women’s Group, a shelter for women in need. We recently saw White Rabbit, Red Rabbit at the Anacostia Playhouse in Washington, DC. We too are trapped in some ways. We have a 6pm curfew. Due to the fact that we don’t have our own place, we’re subject to rules that we don’t always agree with. But rules are rules, and wherever you go there are rules. You have to find something to free yourself from beyond the walls of Calvary. Our individual thoughts on your play (we will leave our names out): “I am an aspiring writer. Some parts of your play were touching.” “Although your play was difficult to understand, I wish nothing but the best for your writing career and whatever you’re going through.” “I pray that you get through the difficult times that you’re going through. The play was interesting and confusing. I hope one day that you soon will be free.” “I enjoyed participating even though I did not understand it all.” “I didn’t like the part about the red rabbit.” “I was the red rabbit and I took the abuse well. He was swearing at me, cussing me out. The other rabbits.” “Are you writing another play? Is there a part two? Is there a brown rabbit?” Thank you for your play. We will try not to tear each other apart for going after the carrot. We will build each other up and support each other. We are part of the story now. We all have experienced hatred. It’s not a one person show anymore. Best of luck.— The Calvary Rabbits
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