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Okotoks performance to tell story of trials and hope

Prisoner of Tehran tells the story of Marina Nemat's imprisonment in Iran and journey to Canada
SCENE-Prisoner of Tehran
Prisoner of Tehran will hit the stage at Okotoks' Rotary Performing Arts Centre on Feb. 8.

A performance coming to Okotoks tells a trying story of torment, but also hope.

Through dance, theatre and storytelling, Prisoner of Tehran adapts the memoir of Iranian-born Marina Nemat to stage, to be performed at the Rotary Performing Arts Centre (RPAC) on Feb. 8.

The show details Nemat’s experiences growing up in Tehran, being imprisoned and nearly executed following Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution before leaving to Canada in 1991.

“I think the highlight is the effect of the show on the audience,” said Jack Langenhuizen, who, along with James and Cynthia Croker, heads up dance theatre outfit MOTUS O. “We’ve heard a lot of horrible stories of people being tortured in other countries.

“What we discovered as we reflected on it is Marina tells a story, but she continues on and leaves you with a real sense of hope.”

The stage performance came to be when the MOTUS O directors caught Nemat presenting an excerpt of her book by chance.

“Marina was presenting at an arts conference and we were backstage listening to what she was talking about and all our ears perked up,” Langenhuizen said. “We thought ‘Wow, what an amazing story,’ and that was only a 15-minute version for us.”

This planted the seed for the collaboration.

“So we bought the book and read it, then Cynthia said she was going to email her to get together and chat, because we felt like we could do something with this,” Langenhuizen continued.

“So we just went into exploration where she recorded her memoirs, and we went into the studio and created an animation of it.”

He continued to explain how while Nemat spoke more matter-of-factly to avoid being too upset while presenting, they could then use that as the palette for their show. 

“That sort of gave us an opening to say, ‘You know what, dance is about storytelling, it’s about emotion, so maybe we should be the ones to carry the emotion of the story as Marina tells it," he said.

While Nemat has personally withdrawn from public performances, Langenhuizen said her part will be performed true to form by Cynthia Croker with Nemat’s guidance and blessing.

“[Nemat] came to watch Cynthia play her, and said, ‘Please, this is fantastic,” Langenhuizen said.

Allan Boss, the Town of Okotoks’ culture and heritage team lead, in turn discovered the performance during a conference.

“The play itself was just amazing, we thought it was brilliant,” Boss said.

What stood out to him was the very personal stories of time and place.

“It was a very different place than our different understanding of how Iran is now, where people were much more free and open,” Boss said. “So you get to learn about a different culture and the way things change and you get to explore what somebody else’s life might be like.

“That sort of informs us not only to history, but the way the world functions in different places, and Marina’s story of coming to Canada and it makes us understand we live in a pretty special place.”

Prisoner of Tehran shows on Feb. 8 from 7:30-10 p.m. and tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door.

For more information and tickets, visit showpass.com/prisoner-of-tehran.

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