Built4Collapse And New Georges Will Present The World Premiere of IRANIAN GIRLFRIEND By SB Tennent
The new work will run September 18–October 4, 2025 at MITU 580 in Brooklyn.
By: A.A. Cristi Aug. 20, 2025
New Georges (Susan Bernfield, Artistic Director/Producer; Jaynie Saunders Tiller, Executive Director/Producer) will present Built4Collapse’s world premiere of Iranian Girlfriend, written and directed by SB Tennent. The production will begin previews on September 18, open on September 23, and run through October 4, 2025 at MITU 580 in Brooklyn.
A darkly comic performance installation about displacement, divorce, and survival in difficult times, Iranian Girlfriend will blend solo performance, video installation, and runway fashion to explore the untold history and precious objects of a woman on the run. With biting humor and unexpected intimacy, the piece will interrogate America’s narrow sense of self while offering fresh perspectives on womanhood, belonging, and resilience.
The story begins in the middle of June at an airport bar, where she is perched in a corner drinking gin and reading about revolution. From jam-making and Sylvia Plath to winter meetings with parents who puzzle over her name, Iranian Girlfriend unpacks the intimate intersections of love, identity, and displacement.
Cast and Creative Team
The cast will feature Asal Takesh (The Seagull) and SB Tennent (Red Wednesday). The design team will include scenic designer Yung-Hung Sung, Costume Designer Karen Boyer, lighting designer Marika Kent, sound designer Chad Raines, object and poster designer Shreya Patel, projections designer Ein Kim, dramaturg Georgia Evans, and props designer/scenic charge Franny Sebastiano. Rhys Luke will serve as associate director, Laura Elliott will produce, Josie Hawley will be associate producer, and Waxman Legal will provide legal counsel.
The work is being developed with support from Theater Mitu’s Artists-At-Home Program, the Brooklyn Arts Council, The Puffin Foundation, a NYSCA Support for Artists grant, and The Anna Sosenko Assist Trust. Iranian Girlfriend is presented in collaboration with New Georges through its artist service program, which partners with independent artist-driven productions of new works, with support from the Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation.
Ticketing Information
Performances will be Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets begin at $25 and are available at built4collapse.ticketspice.com/iranian-girlfriend. More information can be found at built4collapse.com.
Videos