A gripping spectacle by Amir Gudarzi based on Aeschylus' "The Persians". Explores war, identity, and reconciliation between East and West – presented in a contemporary and profound manner at the Salzburg State Theatre.
Amir Gudarzi, Austrian-Iranian playwright and recipient of the Kleist Förderpreis, presents with "The Invention of Paradise" an updated new version of Aeschylus' tragedy "The Persians." The play raises fundamental questions: Is paradise a place of conquest or an inner attitude? Who bears the guilt for war – the West or the East?
Gudarzi sheds light on the historical conflicts between Persia and Greece from a contemporary perspective. At the center is King Xerxes, who seeks to preserve his empire as a paradise garden, yet the threat from Greece leads to the Battle of Salamis in 480 BCE. The staging by Nuran David Calis uses theater to challenge prejudices between the Orient and the Occident and shows how shifts in perspective enable reconciliation.
Born in Tehran in 1986 and living in Vienna since 2009, Gudarzi combines historical sources with contemporary themes. The world premiere is aimed at visitors aged 15 and older and addresses experiences of war and flight on a linguistic level.
Events are automatically synchronized daily. Last updated: 09/10/26. Information may be subject to errors.
Paradise – An Unusual Encounter
11/12, 07:30 PM, kleines Theater - Haus der freien Szene
Princess Dramas
Play
01/21/2027, 07:00 PM, Theater Im Kunstquartier
Elisabeth
05/13/2027, 07:30 PM, Schauspielhaus Salzburg
Giselle
03/13/2027, 07:00 PM, Salzburger Landestheater
Antigone – Dance
Dance theatre
03/23/2027, 07:00 PM, Haus für Mozart