Seeking Redemption in Nowhere Land

“Last Journey” tells the story of a couple who is going on a trip after seven years to decide whether to remain married or get divorced. They go to the hotel that they booked their name but their names are not in the list, making them to accommodate in another hotel. The couple face new people and new relationship in that hotel. The people of the hotel are residing in a city in nowhere, waiting for good things happen for their lives such as bolstering of emotional ties, immigration and a better life.

The performance is real. Mansouri uses elements such as repetitions of some sentences in different junctures to picture different types of realism.

The piece is on stage everyday at Mowlavi Theater at 18:15. It stars Mehrnoush Balameh, Mohammad Roshani, Maryam Ghalshekhani, Farhad Tafreshi, Farzaneh Soheili, Jalal Eivazi, Maryam Aminzadeh Gohari. Maryam Aminzadeh Gohari is also assistant director, Mina Rahmati made trailer and Amir Ghalichi did the online advertisement.

Maryam Mansouri tells more about the piece.

Is “Last Journey” a psychodrama?

“Last Journey” can be evaluated under the field of psychodrama because it is based “Mahi”, its leading character. The repetition made by Mahi everywhere in the piece. The sentences are repeated with different tones. She changes the piece by changing her tones and repeating the sentences and seeing the change in reaction of characters. It is like a domino of human relationship.

Why Mahi is making this repetition? Is she the wise woman?

She is not the wise woman but axis of the piece. We have made the piece in a way that the repetition occurs through Mahi.

 

Do repetitions exist in the play?

Repetitions happen during the two months of rehearsals.

We see the design of the costume of Mahi is different, don’t we.

I asked the costume designer to design her dresses differently. Majority of characters are in grey costumes.

Do we see colors in the dresses of Telma?

She is putting on a colorful skirt with oriental designs with a long grey blouse and a grey scarf. Telma is a warm and energetic oriental woman. But her situation has changed after checking in the hotel.

Is hotel a symbol of purgatory?

Yes. It is. It has influenced personality of Telma.

The piece starts with two guests in the hotel and ends with one guest checking in the hotel. Is that a cycle?

It is insisting on the cycle of repetitions, which starts for characters with one word. Mahi begins in first scene with “Arthur?” then changes to “Why doesn’t Ali come? And then to a situation, which is repeated in the dinner three times. Whenever Mah repeats, she sparks different reactions by characters until she decides to leave the dinner table. This is the cycle of fate, which has a religious and divine perspective.

Are the costumes of passengers colorful at the end?

As I referred, the costume of Mahi is purple and the last female passenger is dark red. Maybe her fate is like that of Mahi.

 

Do we witness a break in human relationship?

Yes, all humans are facing problems in continuation of relationships.

Do you see one of the problems in the modern humans are instability in their relationships with others?

Yes, the relationships get gloomy soon. People face challenges immediately. Language, dialogues and words had lost their values in human relationships.