One of the first major theatrical responses to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US, titled ‘The Mercy Seat’, is going to be staged in Tehran by theater director and actor Emad Qolipour.
Qolipour, 29, has renamed the 2002 play to ‘Ark of Covenant’ and will bring it on stage at Baran Theater from April 29-June 1, ISNA reported.
The play was written by American playwright, film director, screenwriter and actor Neil LaBute, 55. It is rendered in Persian by author and translator Fahimeh Zahedi. The Persian edition is 70 minutes long.
On September 11, 2001, 19 militants associated with the extremist group al-Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Almost 3,000 people were killed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, according to History.com.
Set on September 12, the play concerns Ben, a man who worked at the World Trade Center but was away from the office during the attacks. Expecting that his family believes that he was killed when the towers collapsed, Ben contemplates using the tragedy to run away and start a new life.
Baran Theater is located at No. 292, Felestin St., near Enqelab St.
