SAFFRON AND ROSEWATER: SONGS AND STORIES FROM PERSIAN JEWISH WOMEN
The show that would be banned in Iran comes to New York
ONE-NIGHT-ONLY ● NEW YORK PREMIERE
The 92Y Resource Center for Jewish Diversity, in partnership with Jewish Women’s Theatre, presents the New York premiere of Saffron & Rosewater. It tells the contemporary stories of Persian Jewish women, whose tales describe Iran, the country they once called home and America, the country they now call home. Saffron and Rosewater takes its name from two ingredients that help give Persian cuisine its distinct flavor.
The theatrical performance is adapted from material written by Gina Nahai, Angella Nazarian, Farideh Goldin, Dora Levy Mossanen, Esther Amini and composer Niki Black, who all participate in a Q & A immediately following the performance. Nahai says, “Saffron & Rosewater honors the courage and resilience of women who lived epic, sometimes heroic lives and who, but for productions like this, would quickly have faded into anonymity.” Goldin says, “I love reaching out to young Iranian women who don’t remember Iran. Traditionally, Iranian Jewish women were expected to be silent. Saffron & Rosewater helps set the record straight. It’s a chance for our voices to be heard loud and clear in public.”
Saffron and Rosewater is directed by Eve Brandstein; Ronda Spinak is producer/artistic director and Jessica Youseffi is co-producer. The cast includes Sohaila Zivari, a Rumi scholar; 18-year-old songwriter Niki Black, a freshman at USC; Gamal Palmer, an African-American Jew and Yale graduate; dancer and photographer Roxana Rastegar; Wendy Colman Levin, a Ph.D. in public health; and Lisa Circincione, founding member of the Florence International Theatre Company.
Tickets to the performance are $29. A VIP ticket ($72) includes a premium seat, a catered reception with special Persian treats and a meet-and-greet with the actors and authors after the performance.