TEHRAN – The Iranian publisher Ney has released a Persian translation of Romanian-French writer Eugène Ionesco’s play “The Picture”.

Sanaz Saei-Dibavar is the translator of the one-act play first published in Viridis Candela, the journal of the Collège de ‘Pataphysique. 

The first performance was in Paris at the theatre de la Huchette in October 1955, directed by Robert Postec and with Pierre Leproux, Pierre Chevallier, Tsilla Chelton and Maria Murano.

Le Gros Monsieur, also known as the fat gentleman, is an irresistible, shrewd businessman. 

Le Peintre, aka The Painter, wants to sell him his painting. Initially, he wants 500,000 francs for it but in the end, the fat gentleman so savagely criticizes the painting, when he finally looks at it, that Le Peintre agrees to pay the fat gentleman to store his painting. 

Alice, an old, ugly, and ill woman, is asked by her brother to lend him a hand. After the painter leaves, the brother-sister relationship is reversed and the meek creature becomes authoritarian and demanding, threatening her brother with her walking stick. The fat gentleman obeys her but, when she is not looking, he grabs a gun and shoots. 

A miracle happens: Alice transforms into a beautiful maid. The old and ugly neighbor comes in, and she becomes beautiful too. 

The painter then comes back and turns into Prince Charming. The fat gentleman is the only one who remains fat and ugly, so he asks the audience to shoot him.

Photo: Front cover of the Persian translation of Eugène Ionesco’s play “The Picture”.

MMS/YAW