“Keep Children Off” Raises a Social Upheaval

“Keep Children Off”, which is directed by Mehdi Pashaei, is written by Fereshteh Farshad. It is on stage since November 14. The show took part in the Fadjr International Theater Festival in 2013. “Keep Children Off” is the true story of a parent who set their six-year-old child on fire due to their addiction to Shisheh (methamphetamine).

The cast and crew of the show are Alireza Mehrand, set designer, Sara Bolboli, costume designer, Aida Rouzbehaneh, music and chorus, Sina Afshar, poster and brochure designer, Aram Soleimani, Reza Khaki, Ali Mohammadi, direction group, Fatemeh Zati, secretary, Ava Feiz, advertisement director and media advisor, Fatemeh Helali, set director, Amir-Hossein Bolboli, assistant make-up artist, Ramin Zamin Payma, photographer, Maryam Pourahmadi, public relations, Hadis Miramini, Toumaj Daneshbehzadi, Alireza Mehran, Samaneh Aqazamani, cast.

Mehdi Pashaei tells more about his show.

                                                                                                                                        

Why did you choose to direct this play?

I became familiar with the play through Hamid-Reza Naimi. I became interested in the play after reading it. It diverted my attention towards issues such as child abuse and impact of synthetic drugs on mental health of the people.

 

Do synthetic drugs influence the addict different from non-synthetic ones?

Yes. Synthetic drugs have a frightening and strange atmosphere, which can lead to catastrophe sometimes. Some of those addicts of synthetic drugs committed dreadful crimes. I read news a few days ago that a father who was addicted on Shisheh set his two children on fire alive. We hear such news here and there. I am trying to show challenges of addicted parents for the first time in a theater show. I did not intend to show off or direct a concert. I am trying to picture a searing social reality.

 

 

Are you interested in raising the public awareness of this social dilemma more?

A show must attract the audience apart from its message and content. Its techniques and performing form should be designed in a way that encourages audience to watch it. The audience must enjoy watching it. I hope that the show would warn the health officials a little bit to find strategies to fight with such addictions that are threatening the whole society.

Do you insist that the man and woman of your show come from the working class of the society?

The most important point for me was that children are innocent. They became victims of their addicted parents who usually come from lower class of the society. Child abuse is a hideous crime. I think addiction can be assessed as a social upheaval. But how come children will become victims of their parents.

Are you pointing the finger at the parent?

No. I point my finger at the society. I think many things are responsible for such crimes. We cannot delete the main dilemma by just recognizing parent as criminals.