Persian Cycle: Exile Occidental

the_persion_cycle

By Shahabuddin Suhrawardi
Adapted by the director
Workspace of Jerzy Grotowski, California

"A magical journey…strikingly imaginative."—Lisa Wolford, The Drama Review (TDR)

"When [Jerzy] Grotowski viewed this Action, he praised it as an excellent example of art-as-meditation."—Lisa Wolford, New Theatre Quarterly

Based on Exile Occidental, a Persian mystical story by the 12th century sufi master Suhrawardi, this solo performance blended action with narration in a story-telling mode. While the narrative text was in English, the action featured Persian songs and the whirling dance of the dervishes. The style of the performance was non-realistic, but subtle and internalized rather than presentational.