Andy Warhol In Iran
Northlight Theatre's Andy Warhol In Iran is a 70-minute play about Warhol's trip to Iran. Warhol, who enjoyed painting portraits of the rich and famous, received a request to come to Iran from the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, to take polaroids of his wife, Empress Farah Pahlavi. Unfortunately, while waiting in his hotel room, an Iranian man bringing Warhol room service pulled out a gun and took him captive. He is a radical against the evil powers within Iran and believes having an influential American like Warhol as a hostage will help his cause.
The Pittsburgh native starts the show walking down the stairs at Northlight, talking about his life leading up to his encounter with Farhad in Iran. Warhol, famous for the saying, "15 minutes of fame", suddenly found himself in direct contact with a fame seeker looking for justice. During the ordeal, Warhol, born Andrew Warhola Jr., recounts stages of his life, where he dropped the letter A from his last name to escape his Carpatho-Rusyns, Eastern Slavic heritage and why he wore wigs (I love hair, proclaimed Andy) to disguise the fact that he had gone bald in his 20s.
Vividly shaken, he shares with Farhad when he was shot three times by radical feminist Valerie Solasnas. Known for the SCUM Manifesto (Society for Cutting Up Men), she tries to kill him after he refuses to support her play, "Up Your Ass." The first two shots missed Warhol; however, as he fell to the floor trying to flee, the third shot went through his spleen, stomach, liver, esophagus, and lungs.
“Fame Saved My Life. ”
Warhol's love for drawing and painting came during an unfortunate illness. At the age of eight, he contracted Chorea. As a result, he was bedridden—but fortunately, his mother, Julia, a talented artist, occupied his time teaching him how to draw—which began his love for pictures and portraits. He loved bodacious colors, seeking to bring attention to specific features within his art. Known for his silkscreen paintings of Campbell's Soup Cans and Marilyn Diptych, better known to the world as Marilyn Monroe, Warhol became fascinated with world leaders. Still, his abstract art was tailored to his conceptual, isolated lifestyle—as he frequently wanted to be unburdened with people and their politics.
Being introverted, Warhol preferred staying in Iran in his room, where he would call his New York office while waiting for his manager Fred Hughes — amazed that he could order caviar at $9 per order.
Rob Lindley mastered Andy Warhol's recluse mannerisms, and his narrations of this fictional encounter, which features true-historical facts, were engaging and enthralling. Hamid Dehghani, a director, playwright, and actor (Farhad) born in Iran, was equally masterful in his role. Adding a touch of sarcastic humor, Lindley and Dehghani kept the audience engaged with this brilliant storyline of pain and purpose.
Andy Warhol in Iran by Brent Askari and directed by BJ Jones (also the Artistic Director at Northlight) brings a refreshing new look into Warhol's life, opening his eyes to the political world he often chooses to avoid. This play is educational and emotional and something that Americans should witness so we, too, can be open to the disparities that dehumanize people as immoral, overlooking their societal plight.
At age 58, Andy Warhol died on February 22, 1987, from complications of Arrhythmia (ventricular fibrillation) which many believed stemmed from his ongoing issues from being shot.
Let's Play Theatrical Review Highly Recommends Andy Warhol In Iran at Northlight Theatre.
Northlight Theatre
Andy Warhol in Iran
By Brent Askari
Directed by BJ Jones
January 27 - February 19, 2023
