THE DESTROYED WIll Play Black Box Theatre at EV Pavilion This September

This September, Montreal audiences will experience The Destroyed, a multilingual, multimedia performance running September 12–14 at Concordia’s Black Box Theatre, EV Pavilion. Performed in English, Persian, and French, the production is inspired by Naqqāli—the traditional Iranian art of dramatic storytelling—and reimagined through a postmodern short story by acclaimed Iranian writer Aboutorab Khosravi.

The Destroyed tells the tale of a writer who repeatedly attempts to erase the worlds they create, unable to control the lives of their characters. By weaving Iranian performance traditions with contemporary theatre, the piece creates dialogue between Montreal’s art scene and the rich legacy of Iranian theatre.

Guiding the project is director Syd Hamidreza Hosseini, a Montreal-based theatre practitioner whose work merges Iranian storytelling with technologies such as AR/VR and site-specific digital performance. “We are not trying to imitate the aesthetics of mainstream theatre,” says Hosseini. “Instead, we are building our own theatrical language—as immigrants, as multilingual artists, and as individuals carrying our traditions and mediums into dialogue with one another.”

The production is created collectively under the principle that performance is a human right, belonging to everyone—not just institutions or markets. It brings together artists from theatre, film, sound, and visual art whose distinct practices shape the work. Produced by Saba MediaS, a collective of Iranian artists in Canada, The Destroyed connects Iranian culture with the experience of migration while creating space for new voices.

The production is produced by Shadi Yazdani and Syd Hamidreza Hosseini, who also directs. Shahab Nezamdoost serves as dramaturg, Rebecca Acone provides video art, and Kamyar Karimi designs sound. The ensemble of performers includes Saina Alikhani, Pani Bolbolabadi, Nastaran Pourtaherian, Amir Pakdel, Parsa Sahidian, and Shadi Yazdani. Additional collaborators include Masoud Pakdel (photography), Hamed Sadatbarikani (stage manager), Krystian Erlindo Sosa (videographer), Amirhossein Zarifian (graphic design), Raphaëlle Behar (media relations manager), and Mina Bahra (assistant director).

Performance & Ticket Information

Montreal Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. THE WIZARD OF OZ (The Côte Saint-Luc Dramatic Society)

21.1% of votes

2. LITTLE WOMEN (Starcatcher Productions)

18.3% of votes

3. COMPANY (Arts Undergraduate Theatre Society)

12.1% of votes

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