World Premiere of AJAX Will Open at Boise Contemporary Theater
Performances run April 22-May 9, 2026.
Based on true events: 1953. Tehran. Poolside. For the first time in the world, Boise Contemporary Theater produces a new comedy about how the grandson of Teddy Roosevelt orchestrated the coup that overthrew the Prime Minister and installed the last Shah of Iran. Plus, there's a pool on stage... that talks. Through special effects (BCT hired a magic consultant) and comedic timing, AJAX explores how egos and cultural customs were exploited for economic benefit. AJAX by Habib Yazdi, directed by Kareem Fahmy, previews Wednesday, April 22, and runs through Saturday, May 9, 2026.
BCT's 25|26 Season closer offers an opportunity to look back at a moment in history, which, as the playwright Habib Yazdi puts it, “offers context, and I think context is everything when we're thinking about history and politics. And I think it's important to fully examine where context might begin.” But why tell the story of a coup as a comedy? Yazdi explains, “I think comedy really gets us in a mode where we're disarmed and so we're ready to engage with another sort of point of view or culture, and I really love that about comedy.”
BCT's Producing Artistic Director Benjamin Burdick added, “This world premiere has been nearly two years in the making. Presented at our 2024 BIPOC Playwrights Festival, it was clearly an audience favorite, as it was with the BCT staff and me. It is no small thing for a playwright to allow a theater to do the very first iteration of their play. We were thrilled when Habib agreed to have the world premiere at BCT. I am equally thrilled to bring this brilliant, funny, and wholly original play to the community.”
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