Today I Live

Can desire transcend time? A man and a woman living centuries apart in the same flat gradually become aware of one another. This mysterious sexual charge permeates their work and their sleep, driving them to distraction and inspiration.  In 2017, Niaz, a British-Iranian artist seeks refuge to unravel which elements of her current crisis are existential and which are marital.  In 1821, Michael, an Irish mapmaker, is scarred by the Napoleonic wars, his new solitary life a temporary shield from the shadows of his Dublin past.  As the walls between Michael and Niaz crumble, ghosts long-forgotten find their way home.  Today I Live explores the trauma of immigration, drawing on Ferdowsi’s epic poem “Shahnameh” and legends of the Irish hero Cúchulainn.

UPDATE: Today I Live was selected by 3GT in San Francisco, when the writer was chosen to be a Brady Fellow for 2021-2023 development.  Zara Houshmand dramaturged the play and Nasser Rahmaninejad directed the process.

This play has also been developed through the generous support of the RADA Alumni programme starting in 2010. This play could not have be written without generous support and consultation from:

Zara Houshmand
Nasser Rahmaninejad
Chini Saadat
Rob Marni
Soudabeh Farrokhnia
Sajad Salehi
Vissey Safavi
Behzad Golemohammadi 
Indira Varma
Sean T O'Meallaigh
Aidan McArdle
Richard Cotton