To Stage “Mr Puntila and His Man Matti”

He started his career in theater in 1963. His debut in cinema was “The Resurrection of Love” by Houshang Hesami.

Mr Miami is a veteran theater artist and a founder of Kouch Theater Group. Besides acting, he was assistant director to internationally-acclaimed theater director Bahram Beyzaei in one of his direction. He had collaborated with renowned figures such as Dr Ali Rafiei, Qotbeddin Sadeghi, Behrouz Gharibpour, Iraj Rad, Marzieh Boroumand, Abbas Javanmard, Michael Shahrestani and Akbar Zanjanpour. He has had a long cooperation with Mohammad Ali Sajjadi in cinema and theater.

His theater activities include “White Domains”, “Silk Water Road”, “Winter Sleep”, “Station of Heaven”, “Eternal Kids”, “Mahan Koushiar” and “Crime and Punishment”.

Iran Theater has conducted an exclusive interview with Mr Miami about his future activities.

You have been more active over the past year. What is the status of theater for you?

Theater is my home. My relations with it has always been bold. I stared in and directed two plays last year.  I directed “There Is No Return” by Eric Bradwell, which is translated by Houshang Hesami, at Entezami Hall last year. “There Is No Return” is about the life of a family in the middle of World War I and World War II. We will see the impact of war on their life. I tried to do some changes in the play in the performance. It was welcomed by the audience. Shahram Pourasad was an actor of the play. He played after years of being away of theater. I stared in “The Cherry Orachad” by Akbar Zanjanpour. It was a success and I co-acted witn Parastou Golestani, Karim Akbari Mobarakeh and Qorban Najafi. I plan to direct another play this year.

Is it written by you?

No. I have chosen “Mr Puntila and His Man Matti” by the German modernist playwright Bertolt Brecht. It is a social comedy and written by Brecht in 1940.  The play portrays the relationship between Mr Puntila and his servant Matti and his daughter, Eva. Eva loves Matti but her father wants her to marry off to an Attaché…

 

Are you loyal to the play?

Yes, I am and the play is translated by Farideh Lashaei in 1970.

 

Have you chosen cast?

“Mr Puntila and His Man Matti” has lots of performers. I prefer to choose my cast among renowned and professional theater actors and actresses.

 

Do you have another theater plan?

Yes, I have to play the lead character of “Brave”. It is written by a contemporary American author. The play tells the story of a jailed man waiting for execution…Jamshid Shahmohammadi has translated the play and he will direct it too.