Maria Stuart

Friedrich Schiller’s drama “Mary Stuart” is not about Iran and its political crisis. However, theatre maker Amir Reza Koohestani and his co-author Mahin Sadri have found a striking parallel between Schiller’s classic play and the current political situation in their country.  

Schiller‘s play tells the story of Mary Stuart, Catholic Queen of Scotland, who seeks asylum in England with her cousin Elizabeth, only to be captured and imprisoned due to her claim to the crown. Koohestani and Sadri draw connections to the plight of women in Iran who are imprisoned simply for asking for more power. Like Mary Stuart, these women are seen as a threat to the powerful and imprisoned without cause. 

Through their multilingual version of “Mary Stuart”, Koohestani and actors both from Austria’s Landestheater Niederösterreich and from Iran explore the mechanisms of power and political responsibility. In a world where right-wing populists seek to undermine democracy through misinformation and xenophobia, Koohestani’s work raises important questions about the role of art and democracy in fighting totalitarianism. The play highlights the importance of using art to shed light on injustices and challenge oppressive political structures. 

As one of Iran’s most prolific theatre makers, Amir Reza Koohestani marks his Austrian debut with “Mary Stuart”.