ECHOES OF MY SILENCE to Premiere at New York City Fringe Festival
Azadeh Kangarani’s autobiographical solo show will play five performances at Chain Theatre Mainstage as part of the 2026 NYC Fringe.
Iranian playwright and performer Azadeh Kangarani brings her autobiographical solo show Echoes of My Silence to New York for its premiere at the 2026 New York City Fringe Festival this April. Following a critically acclaimed run at the 2025 Toronto Fringe Festival, the production will play five performances at Chain Theatre Mainstage.
Echoes of My Silence confronts sexual assault, trauma, and the patriarchal beliefs instilled at a young age, tracing one woman's journey toward reclaiming her voice and power. Kangarani performs the solo show, which runs April 5-14.
Kangarani shared what inspired her to write the piece:
"In 2022, I was asked by a festival in the Czech Republic to create a play based on violence against women...after much thought, I decided to use my personal experiences and stories. Of course, it wasn't easy to open up the wounds, but I had made the decision to face the past." She went on to say, "Sharing our stories in public is crucial. I think many women must have experienced some episodes like mine, and afterwards felt guilty and ashamed, even though they had nothing to feel guilty or ashamed about. I hope women who see my show remind themselves how important it is to be kind to themselves, and not to be ashamed of such harmful experiences in their lives."
The Toronto Star made the play a Critics Pick saying, "Echoes of My Silence" is not just the best play I've seen so far at this Fringe. It's also one of the top shows of the year thus far - anywhere in Toronto...Kangarani is a force onstage,..an intense and bone-chilling interrogation of power, violence, gender roles and collective complicity."
About Echoes of My Silence
On a flight from Germany to the U.S., a female pilot triggers Azadeh's reckoning with a life shaped by patriarchal norms. Through her memories, she confronts the silence that has defined her beliefs about gender, power, and herself. The play was praised by critics at the 2025 Toronto Fringe Festival.
The creative team includes sound design by Petar Mrdjen and scenic design by Mara Ingea.
Echoes of My Silence runs April 5 - 14 with performances on Sunday, April 5 at 2 pm, Tuesday, April 7 at 7:40 pm, Thursday, April 9 at 7:40 pm, Saturday, April 11 at 8:40 pm, and Tuesday, April 14 at 9:20 pm. Running time: 60 minutes. The Chain Theatre Mainstage is located at 312 W 36th St. 4th floor, New York, NY 10018. Tickets are $25 (sliding scale tickets are also available).
Born in Tehran, Iran, playwright/performer Azadeh Kangarani is an award-winning, internationally recognized director, actor, and playwright whose work blends theatre, storytelling, and intercultural dialogue. Her solo show, Echoes of My Silence, was praised by critics at the Toronto Fringe Festival 2025. Her adaptation of Troilus & Cressida received the Audience Award at both the Prague Shakespeare Company's Shakespeare Birthday Celebration and the Iranian Theatre Festival in Heidelberg, Germany (2016). A graduate of the Faculty of Performing Arts in Prague and Soore University in Tehran, Kangarani creates innovative projects across theatre, film, and radio that transcend borders and cultural divides."Through pure human energy, theatre offers one of the most powerful ways for us to truly understand each other across cultures." She now resides in California.
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