Women's Experiences in a Shakespearean Play

Four hundred years after the death of William Shakespeare, a literary giant, special programs have been held worldwide this year. In Prague, all of Shakespeare's plays are set to be performed. Among them, Azadeh Mohammadi, an Iranian director and actress, has staged "Troilus and Cressida," marking her third directorial effort. Azadeh has previously acted and directed in Dubai and Tehran and is currently a master's student in directing in Prague. Azadeh Mohammadi is a guest on this week's program of 'Another Voice.' Let me start with an unusual question. If you could choose to play one of the female roles in Shakespeare's plays, which role would you choose? Lady Macbeth is a very attractive role for me, and of course, this role is not positive at all. The discussion of women can be sensitive at times, but in this Shakespeare play, it has become even more sensitive. Lady Macbeth is a very powerful and influential woman with evil thoughts. Nevertheless, I cannot deny that she is very captivating. Cressida is also an attractive character for me. One reason is that Cressida experiences confusion, which I, as a woman, have experienced. Explaining it is a bit difficult. The first man in her life is her father, who has joined the Greeks, and she cannot rely on him. The second man in her life, Troilus, whom she falls in love with, hands her over to the Greeks after a few days. The society that Shakespeare describes for us is one where men hold all the power. It is these men who decide that Cressida must be exchanged for a Trojan soldier who is captured by the Greeks, and Troilus, Cressida's lover, does not prevent this. This is a law set by men, and everyone must follow it. Is that why you chose this play for the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death? One reason I chose this play is that in it, we witness the confrontation between the Greeks and the Trojans, which may be one of the first encounters between East and West. Since I started directing in Prague, the issue of confrontation has been my concern, both as an individual in society and as someone coming from an Eastern culture. This play precisely reflects my daily challenges and is also one of the plays that has been performed very little and is known as one of Shakespeare's most complex works. The innovation in this performance was the combination of Shakespeare's work with Iranian coffeehouse theater and its narration style. One of the attractive characters in the play is the black character, derived from Iranian puppet theater. Your unique feature was that you chose a woman to play the black character. What made you prefer a blonde white woman to play the black role and paint parts of her face black? Before answering this, let me point out something. The reason I chose Iranian narration and storytelling is that I believe this method is popular and expresses stories in a much simpler language. There is a master or storyteller who narrates stories for different social classes, so they must connect with everyone. The play "Troilus and Cressida" is inherently a difficult and complex play. I thought this method could help me and the audience better understand the work. Regarding the black character, one of my most unique acting experiences in Iran was playing a black character in a traditional theater festival. We know that the black character usually comes from a lower social class and becomes a foolish servant to the master. The black character is intelligent and clever. They always express important issues or raise significant questions for the audience and themselves. However, in the end, others look down on them, sometimes in a condescending manner. Unfortunately, women in our society sometimes face the same issue. I am a woman, and I have experienced this. Whether in family life or at school, I believe most Iranian women have experienced this gaze and treatment. Some fight more, some less, some care less, and some care more. For me, it has been a kind of experience that one must fight for their natural rights in society. I cannot say that our Iranian society today is entirely designed for women, as I have experienced it in various ways. Is that why you chose a woman for the black character? Our black character is a very clever and sometimes foolish girl. Of course, at times she gets confused, but ultimately she is an intelligent black character. From the beginning, we see that all her actions are mixed with foolishness. However, as the play progresses, her capabilities are discovered layer by layer. Gradually, we reach a point where the master gives his staff to the black character, and we hear the story narrated by her. In the meantime, we also have a male storyteller who feels jealous of the master's giving opportunities to the black character. This confrontation between the storyteller and the black character is also interesting. I do not want to label, but these are examples we see in society as well. So, did you portray your experiences in society through the black character, or is the black character a representation of your aspirations, someone who can take the staff and lead? I don't know. I cannot say that it is entirely my image or not. But there are certainly common points between me and the black character. A few years ago, I did not have the courage to voice my opinions to others. I was afraid to lead a movement. But I can say that through directing, I learned how to convey my voice to others. Although I never showed this outwardly and always appeared to be an active and cheerful girl. I have lived with this challenge. Gradually, I reached a point where I now feel that I have overcome this challenge. Now I think about what my voice is, what my message is, and this is very enjoyable. Have you ever thought about performing this play in Iran? I would love to take this to the Fajr Festival. Firstly, probably because unfortunately, traditional theater in Iranian society is on the verge of extinction, and I am sure that if Iranians see that Westerners are doing this, it will have a positive impact. And that a blonde woman plays the black role, I think would be interesting. It must be very appealing for Iranian women because it is not common for a woman to play a black role in a traditional Iranian work. And now, how a Western woman grapples with this black role, I think it would be interesting for Iranian women to watch.