TEHRAN – An Iranian troupe plans to perform American writer Neil Simon’s comedy play “Plaza Suite” live on Instagram.

The play will be staged on Friday at 8:30 pm directed by Maryam Baqeri who staged Simon’s “The Good Doctor” at Tehran’s Neauphle-le-Chateau Theater in August. 

The play will be performed based on a Persian translation of the play by Shahram Zargar who also directed the play in several performances at Tehran’s Sepand Theater this year in July.

“Plaza Suite” is composed of three acts, each involving different characters but all set in Suite 719 of New York City’s Plaza Hotel. 

The first act, “Visitor from Mamaroneck”, introduces the audience to not-so-blissfully wedded couple Sam and Karen Nash, who are revisiting their honeymoon suite in an attempt by Karen to bring the love back into their marriage. Her plan backfires and the two become embroiled in a heated argument about whether or not Sam is having an affair with his secretary. The act ends with Sam leaving (allegedly to attend to urgent business) and Karen sadly reflecting on how much things have changed since they were young.

The second act, “Visitor from Hollywood”, involves a meeting between movie producer Jesse Kiplinger and his old flame, suburban housewife Muriel Tate. Muriel - aware of his reputation as a smooth-talking ladies’ man - has come for nothing more than a chat between old friends, promising herself she will not stay too long. Jesse, however, has other plans in mind and repeatedly attempts to seduce her.

The third act, “Visitor from Forest Hills”, revolves around married couple Roy and Norma Hubley on their daughter Mimsey’s wedding day. In a rush of nervousness, Mimsey has locked herself in the suite’s bathroom and refuses to leave. This is the most comic of the acts, filled with increasingly outrageous slapstick moments depicting her parents’ frantic attempts to cajole her into attending her wedding while the gathered guests await the trio’s arrival downstairs. The scene ends and they finally get married.

Masih Kazemi, Mohsen Bahrami, Hamidreza Bahram, and Mahdieh Soleimani are the members of the cast, and Niaz Esmaeilpur is the producer of the performance.

Several other Iranian directors have staged the play earlier. Sepideh Marvian directed the play at Anushirvan Arjmand Theater in Mashhad in April and May of 2015.

In addition, Afshin Fakuri also directed a reading performance of the play at Tehran’s Sarv Cultural Center in February of 2019. 

Photo: A poster for “Plaza Suite”, which will be performed by Iranian director Maryam Baqeri’s troupe live on Instagram. 

MMS/YAW