TEHRAN-The play “Frederick” written by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt and directed by Hamidreza Naimi is performed on stage at the main hall of the City Theater Complex in Tehran.

Schmitt’s play, originally titled “Frederick or the Crime Boulevard” is about the theater – about intrigues between actors, about a stupid playwright and greedy manager, about happiness and curse of the acting, and, of course, about love. In the play, theater, and life are inextricably intertwined as two poles of the whole.

The story is about Frederick Lemaitre, a 19th-century larger-than-life, popular actor, an eccentric, a seducer, and a revolutionary for whom nothing is too much. Paris is fascinated by him. He seems ready for anything except love. On the stage, he is the embodiment of passionate love, whereas behind the scenes he has to buy ready-made love. When he meets Bérénice, a young and mysterious woman with no connection with the stage, he faces a crucial dilemma: love as an illusion or love as reality? The stage or real life?

Amir Karbalaizadeh, Armin Yaghoubi, Ali Sadeghi, Arsalan Shabahang, Mehran Akbari, Saleh Lavashani, Behnaz Nazi, Javaneh Delshad, Kataneh Afsharinejad, and Sahar Lotfi are in the cast among others.

Schmitt, 63, is a Franco–Belgian playwright, short story writer, and novelist, as well as a film director. His plays have been staged in over 50 countries all over the world.

Several plays by Schmitt, including “Partners in Crime,” “Enigma Variations,” “Oscar and the Lady in Pink,” “Between Worlds,” and “The Night of Fire” have been performed by various groups in Iran.

“Frederick” will be performed until the end of December at the City Theater located in Daneshjoo Park, the intersection of Enghelab and Valiasr streets.

SS/