ANDY WARHOL IN IRAN
BECK CENTER FOR THE ARTS
October 3-November 2, 2025
beckcenter.org or 216-521-2540
Roy Berko
ANDY WARHOL IN IRAN is a gem of a production. The well-honed script, focused direction and fine acting all lead to the conclusion that this is MUST SEE show that exposes the audience to an understanding of Warhol, Iran and the Middle East conflict through high drama and humor!
To see a full review of this show, read Roy Berko's blog here.
Howard Gollop
Instead,
the would-be terrorist -- although exceptionally honed by Kareem
Chaourab -- becomes something of a gruff teddy bear, while Warhol --
inventively and endearingly rendered by Scott Exposito -- at times
becomes a sniveling fop whose wild blonde wig (which Warhol never
denied wearing), makes him less stoic and stone-faced artist and more
Carol Channing.
This
is not to say the play, under the skillful, studied and detailed
direction of Sarah May, is anything less than engaging -- and
particularly timely, considering the current goings-on in
the Middle East. There may be no time-stopping dramatic crescendos in
this play, but timeliness and a great time will do quite nicely.
To see a full review of this show, read Howard Gollop's review here.
Mark Horning
This
is one of those little “slice of life” shows that concentrates on
an important event of the last century. The taut and realistic
characterizations work to involve the audience as more witnesses than
viewers. It opens your eyes to the life of a misunderstood artist,
his unwilling involvement in the Middle East conflict and the manner
in which he is able to extricate himself from the situation with
drama and humor.
To see a full review of this show, read Mark Horning's Review here.
Gwendolyn Kochur
Art is most powerful not when it tells you what to think, but when it poses questions and allows you to come to your own conclusions. “Andy Warhol in Iran” tells us that we are more alike than we are different, that art has a role in politics and we all have an ethical responsibility to be aware of injustices perpetrated upon fellow humans. Unfortunately, it does not trust the audience to digest these themes on our own; instead, we are spoon-fed them, which rather diminishes the overall meal.
To see a full review of this show, read Gwendolyn's review here.
Dr. Yuko Kurahashi
Andy Warhol in Tehran, written by Brent Askari and directed by Sarah May, is running at the Beck Center for the Arts. Personally, the title of the play echoes Reading Lolita in Tehran, an autobiographical work by Azar Nafisi, the book I have read and re-read in the past. It is “Tehran” that makes this play and Reading Lorita in Tehran resonate with each other, as Tehran is no longer a popular tourist destination, but rather a city of our imagination, filled with global information and misinformation.
There is also a coincidental linkage between the two works. In Andy Warhol in Tehran, the character Farhad, a young, undertrained revolutionary, expresses his love for literature. In Reading Lolita in Tehran, the author Azar Nafisi recounts her experiences as an English literature teacher in Tehran immediately after the 1979 revolution. So, suppose Farhad survives violence and persecution under the Shah regime, he might become one of the literature students taught by Nafisi—but perhaps only until a new cycle of persecution under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini worsens.
To see a full review of this show, read Yuko's posts here.
Joey Morona
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Joey's posts here.
