An Interview with Shahrouz Delafrouz on “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Shakespeare Wrote for Occasions Too!
Shahrouz Delafrouz is one of the young theater actors who has achieved success in recent years. He received the top actor award of the new theater section of the Fadjr International Theater Festival two years ago for playing in “The Wind Shakes the Windows”, which was directed by Mostafa Koushki. He also managed to play a different role in “Two Hanging Feet Are Left When We Return”, which was directed by Ebrahim Posht-Kouhi. His character Asem in the piece showcased a talented actor. Asem was isolated in a nowhere land as a punishment to a sin. He shone in a role as an old man in “Takhalofake Mizansicke Sohrab” years ago. Delafkar is playing in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, a romantic comedy, now.
You have played in serious and multifaceted characters in realistic shows. What is the importance of playing in a comedy?
It was a new experience. This Shakespearean piece has weak characters but strong typical features. This was a different acting for me. I tried to center my acting between type-character creation and do not play just types. The audience could connect with my character during the performances. It is amazing.
You occasionally used dialogues in a way to create a comedy of situation. Do the audience laugh at it and could they connect with ambience?
I was happy that I had a share in the humorous moments of the piece and making the audience laugh. I am thinking of continuing my career in playing comedy.
Does it mean you would no longer play realistic and eccentric characters like Mousa in “The Wind Shakes the Windows”?
I love to play different characters. There was phantasy in “Takhalofake Mizansicke Sohrab” too. I was not stranger to such environment. My character was different in “Horrific Wounds of Playground”, which I had played last month in the City Theater. There are phantasies in these pieces. If the actor fails to understand the characters, the outcome would not be great and audience could not feel the characters. Whenever I play such characters, I try to look into them from outside and like an audience or observer. If I found it comic, I would center my acting on that method. Otherwise I keep working on the character to have proper outcome.
Do the cast of the piece have high physical fitness and movement skills given the decoration of the stage?
Yes, the piece had three months of rehearsal while other shows usually need 20 days. The rehearsal of this piece left me with a broken leg last year. Some of the actors suffered injuries. It is worth it as I see the audience is pleased every night. The spectators feel they see something created by the cast. I love this kind of theater, which help make imagination and picture for the audience. Modern theater is moving toward using just ears of the audience while the classic pieces work on their imagination, thoughts and ears. I believe Shakespeare did write the play for a certain occasion such as marriage, feast and joy. These too much light, genies and eccentric creatures let the actors to try themselves and act freely. I think if an actor wants to resist the atmosphere and does not make himself free, he would lag behind. A great play ensures half success of a good piece.
Does Demetrius rely on his muscles rather than mind?
Demetrius fails to reach his lover in the Shakespeare’s play. But the dramaturgy of Mostafa Koushki has a happy ending. The writer Bagher Soroush has done humorous things with this character too. Demetrius, in the original play, has everything except for love. But our piece tries to have another approach to this character who works with construction workers and does not know how to treat women elegantly.