Interview with “Peyman Mo’adi” starring at “Waiting for Godot”

Iran Theatre in an interview with Peyman Mo’adi, asked him about his experience on the stage:

Sometimes ago, some of stage actors complained that those who have not studied theatre or have not trained for performing, better not come on the stage. But now, your performance in “”Khoshksali o Dorough (Drought and Lie)” and “Waiting for Godot” has surprised us. Can we argue that Mo’adi has been among the best of our theatre, last year?

“I take no position against what they have said, and I can say that somehow they are right. Actually, it’s all about the experience they are talking about. I’ve vent to see the performance of my cinema friends on stage for several times, and actually they were not good on stage. Meanwhile I think, their name on the list, could promise a better office box and in my view, it’s somehow a positive thing. Before the opening of “Waiting for Godot”, I had been exercising for seven months. From September, I have been exercising four hours a day. I have canceled participation in three festivals abroad. I rejected proposals of starring in two films. I could not take part in those events because there was no time left for me. Simultaneously I was writing two screenplays and also the script of my next movie, so there was no more energy left to write more than that. Now, I am waiting for “Waiting for Godot” to come to an end, to have enough time to write. So, playing on stage is a matter of importance to me, coming on the stage is a matter of love to me. The point is that, when being on stage, I care more about my cinema background and professional prestige, than the ones with theatre origin. Naturally, I am not here to make a fun of all the things I have fight for, until today. So I have to study and exercise several times more than others, and then, check and see whether I’m at the right place or not. I do not insist on theatre, I may quit the theatre at this moment, or I may perform in 10 more plays.”

It makes me wonder that which motivation made you to choose starring as Vladimir on the stage, at the expense of so many other things?

“It goes back to several years ago, when I was a writer in cinema. The first time I read “Waiting for Godot”, the text enchanted me. I read it for several times. For me, Vladimir is just like Hamlet; one of those eternal personages of drama. Meanwhile I knew that in order to be successful in the job, I should do my best. When I decided to join the “Waiting for Godot” group, I contacted my manager in the US and informed him of my decision and asked him not to send me any screenplays within the next seven months, because I had to do exercises during the period to be prepared for the stage. I had to do that because I had promised the team. Interestingly, when I look back and ask myself why I have made such a decision, I find no answer. I do not know, maybe it is a mania for performing on theatre stage. I could not say that before, but today I confess that it is all about performing mania.

most of your cinematic works has been close to the reality, but the atmosphere of ”Waiting for Godot” is so idealistic. How could you keep distance from the world of reality that you were so used to it?

“Homayoun Ghanizade helped me a lot. He put his trust in me, and in fact, he was the one who run the risk, by choosing me for the role. Ghanizade, once told me ‘I thought it would take you two weeks to break your previous format and to enter the atmosphere of the drama! But it took you only two or three days.’ I don’t know the reason. Perhaps, because we have talked a lot about it and that I knew him well through his theatre works, but, my overall impression was that the genre is of no importance for theatre actor. Nowadays, after performing in the play, I can say that for me, playing in movies and theatre are the same. I had doubt at the beginning for doing the job, but one day I decided to take into consideration the extreme and prune it. That was exactly the way I did before, in cinema; choosing an exaggerated style and pruning it, after. I performed as Vladimir, in an exaggerated way and most theatrical form, for Ganizade to be sure that I can do the job. 

What is it like and what feelings do you experience, when some audiences leave the hall, at the middle of the show?

“I do believe that a characteristic of the play is its oppressed actors and it should be accepted. The performer should know that it’s the same characteristic that makes the drama so special.”

Naturally, the fact that some audiences leave the hall at the middle of the play, is a bad sign and it does not makes us happy, but, when I read critiques ideas about the play and see phrases like “it was a complete farce”, I understand that it has worked. They should read the text before coming to the hall. They should be familiar with it in advance.

Rhythm of the show, matters too, isn’t it?

It is like moving on a tiny border line. A little wrong move and you could overshoot the line. For example, the way we perform, may change night by night. Therefore, sometimes we may overshoot the line. I don’t know how successful we have been, but, most of all we were concerned about those who have read the play before and know the “Waiting for Godot”, those who knew they are in the hall, to watch something about “Waiting”. We did not care about the audiences who had come to see a vulgar comedy. We had nothing to offer them, because whatever we do, nothing would change, because the play is no laughing matter. But, it does not mean we have the right to be boring. Even ‘waiting’ and ‘silence’ should be performed interestingly and the result should be appealing to those who have come to hall to think about concepts in the drama. 

So, what about those average audiences, which are not familiar with the text in advance and has come to watch “Waiting for Godot” only because of some names on posters, including yours. Does the range of your audiences, is limited to those who know Beckett very well or those who know the text and its narration? 

No. I answer your question with another question. Do you offer Bergman’s “Wild Strawberries”, Ozu’s “Tokyo Story” or Tarkovsky’s “Mirror” only to professional movie watchers? There are some art works that require further reflection. You need to pay more attention to the framework. It does not mean that you must have a PhD in philosophy to enjoy Beckett works. Some of my friends, who have not read the play, came and watched the drama and enjoyed it a lot. It was then that they decided to read the play. I do not agree with some of audiences that say “maybe we don’t get the point.”  I think we should never say that. You, the audiences, are the highest standard and criteria for every movie director. 

You have performed in two theatre works and through this, you experienced two different genres; real and fantasy. Which of the two is more attractive to you as a newcomer in the world of theatre and the one who in fact, has presented two brilliant performances? Which role, you performed better? The role in “Khoshksali o Drough (Drought and Lie)” or the role you performed as Vladimir in “Waiting for Godot”?

I do prefer my performance in “Waiting for Godot” because it was interesting for me to see the audiences being shocked by my performance. They saw a completely different role and personage. Even those who came to watch the drama because of my name on the cast list expected someone else and I find out at the first five minutes of the show, that the result has upset them. That is why I love my role in “Waiting for Godot”.