Made Possible in Part by:
MOLLIE BYRNES
Regional Premiere
WISH YOU WERE HERE
by Sanaz Toossi
Directed by MELORY MIRASHRAFIº
A circle of tight-knit girlfriends gather to plan weddings, trade dirty jokes, and try to hang onto a sense of normalcy as protests are breaking out all around them. Centered on a suburb of Iran from 1978 to 1991, each of the friends must choose whether to join a wave of emigration or to remain where the future is uncertain.
2023 Pulitzer Prize Winner Sanaz Toossi brings breathtaking humanity and cutting wit to the stage through these women’s stories, directed by Melory Mirashrafiº. Running from August 9 to 25, all performances are at Gloucester Stage’s Theater 267 East Main Street, Gloucester. Showtimes are Wednesdays & Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00pm, and matinees Saturdays & Sundays at 3:00pm.
AUGUST 9 – 25
Performances
7:30 pm, WED + THU
8:00 pm, FRI + SAT
3:00 pm, SAT + SUN
Preview Performances
August 9 + 10 @ 8:00 pm
Champagne Opening
Sunday, August 11
Actor Talk Backs
August 18 + 25
More Talkback Events
Critical Praise for Gloucester Stage’s Wish You Were Here
“Under Melory Mirashrafi’s excellent direction and the ensemble’s superb acting, the war recedes as the inner workings of this tightly-knit group spill out onstage”
“One powerfully poignant ending.”
“It is consistently interesting and the Gloucester Stage Company production features a wonderful ensemble cast of five actresses.“
“In addition to the timely issues she raises, American-Iranian Toossi provides a compassionate multi-layered glimpse of Iranian society.“
Trailers and Behind the Scenes videos for Wish You Were Here
Wish You Were Here Talkback Events with Experts
Take a deeper dive into the world of Sanaz Toossi’s play and what was happening in Iran during this pivotal time in history. Actor Talkbacks still follow the Sunday Matinees on August 18 and 25 at 4:50pm. All talkback events are free to attend, no advanced reservations required.
SAT AUG. 17
after matinee @ 4:50pm
Betty Anderson, Ph.D.
Professor of Middle East History at Boston University and Author. Full bio online here.
WED AUG. 21
after evening @ 9:20pm
Benham Alibahkshi
Director, Teaching Artist at universities in Iran and UMass. Full bio online here.
THU AUG. 22
after evening @ 9:20pm
Vahdat Yeganeh
Dramaturg & Cultural Consultant, A.R.T., Artistic Director, Professor. Full bio online here.
SAT AUG. 24
after matinee @ 4:50pm
Sheida Dayani, Ph.D.
Research Scholar, Princeton U., Iranian Theatre Historian, Author. Full bio online here.
Coordinated by Nico Miller, Community Engagement Apprentice
Meet the Creative Team
Sanaz Toossi / Playwright
Sanaz Toossi is an Iranian-American playwright from Orange County, California. Her plays include the critically acclaimed, Pulitzer Prize-winning English (co-production, Atlantic Theater Company/Roundabout Theatre Company) and Wish You Were Here (Playwrights Horizons; Williamstown/Audible, released 2020). She is currently under commission at Atlantic Theater Company (Launch commission; Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation grant), Roundabout Theatre Company, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Manhattan Theatre Club, South Coast Repertory and Oregon Shakespeare Festival (American Revolutions Cycle).
In television, Sanaz recently staffed on Invitation to a Bonfire (AMC), A League of Their Own (Amazon), and Five Women (Marielle Heller/ Big Beach), and sold an original idea, The Persians, to FX with Joe Weisberg & Joel Fields attached as Executive Producers. Sanaz is a member of Youngblood and the Middle Eastern American Writers Lab at the Lark, and an alum of Clubbed Thumb’s Early Career Writers’ Group. She was the 2019 P73 Playwriting Fellow, a recipient of the 2020 Steinberg Playwright Award, the 2022 recipient of The Horton Foote Award and, most recently, the 2023 recipient of the Best New American Play Obie Award. MFA: NYU Tisch
Melory Mirashrafiº / Director
Melory Mirashrafi is a first-generation Iranian-American theatre artist from Portland, Oregon. Melory’s work spans from new plays and translations to music and opera, focusing on work that is relevant, rigorous, and theatrical. Melory is a Stage Directors & Choreographers Foundation Fellow (Young Americans, Pittsburgh Public Theater & Portland Center Stage) and recipient of the Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Prize (Glück’s Orfeo) and Thomas Derrah Emerging Artist Award (English, SpeakEasy Stage). Recent credits: English (Speakeasy Stage Company); La Cenerentola (Portland Opera); The Music Man (Third Rail Repertory Theatre); Young Americans (Portland Center Stage); American Fast (Artists Repertory Theatre); Shahmaran (Shaking the Tree Theatre). Melory’s writing can be found in the Methuen Drama Book of Trans Plays and Routledge’s Troubling Traditions: Canonicity, Theatre, and Performance in the US. Melory is a proud SDC associate member.
Meet the Cast
Aryana Asefirad* / Rana
Aryana is a first generation Iranian-Californian born and raised in the Bay Area and currently based out of New York City. She is a recent graduate of the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre conservatory program where she studied the Meisner Technique. Her recent credits include Mullah/Farraday/Ensemble and Understudy (Bee) and Dunn (Men on Boats). Prior to pursuing a career in the arts, Aryana received her B.A from the University of California, Irvine in Public Health Policy and International Studies. Aryana is excited to be joining this season’s cast of Wish You Were Here. She aspires to represent Iranian women through her art, and sends all her love to the people and Women of Iran. Zan, Zendegi, Azadi. @aryana.asefirad
Cerra Cardwell* / Shideh / New Friend
Cerra Cardwell is a Self-Tape based actor and comedian. Her heritage as a Middle Eastern-Italian American is to blame for her love of large portions and exaggerated storytelling. NEW YORK: Off-Broadway: Stupid F*cking Bird, The Seagull, The Words Will Come. REGIONAL: Shakespeare Theatre Company: Much Ado About Nothing; Folger Theatre: A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Headwaters Theatre: Bee; Her Majesty & Sons: Richard II. LONDON: Measure for Measure, Hedda Gabler, Scenes from an Execution. FILM: Missing Persons. OTHER: Grinding (post production), Reality Sets In (Amazon Prime), Meet Amal (post production), Doin’ Great, It’s Good to be a Girl (Crystal Moselle). TRAINING: MFA, Classical Acting, STC Academy at the Shakespeare Theatre and George Washington University & MA, Acting, Rose Bruford College (London), Shakespeare Certification, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Cerra is currently the face of MiraLax USA as the friendly and knowledgeable “Aunt Mira”. IG: @sarawithacee www.cerracardwell.com
Deniz Khateri* / Nazanin
Deniz is a multidisciplinary artist (actor, director, playwright, shadow puppetry artist and animator) based in New York. Her works experiment with form and focus on memory, grief, immigration and the concept of home. Born and raised in Iran, Deniz has performed extensively in Tehran, Boston and New York . Some of her favorite credits include: Babe in Friends & Lovers & Others (Tank NYC), Puccini’s SM woman in Puccini ( The West End Theatre), Marjan in English (Speakeasy Stage), The woman in Kiss (ArtsEmerson), Masha in The Three Sisters (Apollinaire). A playwriting lab resident at NYC’s New Perspective Theatre, and former artist in residence at Center at West Park, Deniz has trained in master classes with prominent international artists including Peter Brook, Krymov, Paul Zaloom and Gardzienice Theatre Company of Poland. She is an adjunct lecturer at Hunter College and Queens Borough Community College of CUNY.
Deniz is one of the three recipients of 2024 Al-Bustan award for her solo performance “A Bach’eh who wanted to become Bach”. Awarded by UNIMA-USA for “excellence in writing for the art of puppetry” she has been the recipient of NYSCA award for her new project “Husks from Iran”, as well as the NYFA fund for her Oscar-qualified documentary animated web series, “Diasporan”, for which she is the writer, director, animator and singer and explores the daily struggles of immigrants. (www.denizkhateri.com)
Josephine Moshiri Elwood / Salme
Josephine Moshiri Elwood is thrilled to be making her Gloucester Stage debut. Regional: The Band’s Visit (Huntington/SpeakEasy), Prayer for the French Republic (Huntington), English, People, Places, & Things, Hand to God, The Whale (SpeakEasy Stage), Vanity Fair (Central Square Theater), Onegin, Gabriel (Greater Boston Stage), Old Money (Commonwealth Shakespeare), Othello, God’s Ear (Actor’s Shakespeare Project), Long Ago and Far Away, The Cherry Orchard (Walking the dog Theatre). Film/TV: “Nos4A2,” The Immigrant. Josephine holds a BFA in Acting from Emerson College.
Isan Salem / Zari
Isan (ice-in) is very excited and honoured to be making her Gloucester Stage debut in this play that is so close to home. She is a first generation Iranian from Toronto, Canada and is currently a rising senior at Emerson College in the BFA Musical Theatre program. Recent credits at Emerson Stage include Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 (Natasha), Bonnets (u/s Georgette, Fortitude), Old Jake’s Skirts (Ellis, Good Samaritan), and New Fest Short Works’ Vampire Therapy (Charlene). Much love to my parents for their unwavering support and for showing me what Iranian pride and resilience looks like. isansalem.com
Meet the Production Team
Cecilia Bianchi / Assistant Stage Manager + Apprentice
Ceceilia Bianchi (she/her) is a stage manager from North Kingstown, RI, who recently graduated from Connecticut College with a B.A. in Theater and English. She is so excited to be a part of Gloucester Stage Company this summer! Over the past few years, she has worked backstage in theater (her favorite place to be), notably on The Moors (Stage Manager), Urinetown (Stage Manager) and Cabaret (ASM). Cece has also spent her time as managing director of Wig and Candle, a student-run theater organization at Connecticut College. Cece is looking forward to continuing to learn and grow as a theater maker. She sends her love and gratitude to family and friends!
Amanda Fallon / Lighting Designer
Lindsay G. Fuori / Set Designer
Lindsay (she/her) is thrilled to be returning to Gloucester Stage! She started her career in Boston and is currently a New York based artist. Lindsay previously designed Native Gardens at GSC in 2019. Recent credits include: Mountain Octopus (Creede Repertory Theatre), Millennials are Killing Musicals (Out of the Box Theatrics), Waiting for Lefty (Quintessence Theatre), El Matrimonio Secreto (Florida Grand Opera), Candida (Gingold Theatrical), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company), The Marriage of Figaro (Intermountain Opera) and Made by God (Irish Repertory Theatre). Lindsay was nominated for an Elliot Norton Award for her work on Parade (Moonbox Productions 2019). She received a Henry Award from the Colorado Theatre Guild for her work on Hazardous Materials (CRT 2019). Lindsay holds a BFA in Scenic Design from Boston University. lindsayfuori.com
Karen “KJ” Gilmer / Costume Designer
Ms. Gilmer earned her BA in French at West Chester and an MFA in Costume Design at Boston University. She has traveled extensively designing costumes for Opera, Theatre and Dance. Some of her favorite designs include Charlie Parker’s Yardbird, She Kills Monsters, The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie, Marie Antoinette by David Adjimi, Kander and Ebbs’ The Scottsboro Boys, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Intimate Apparel, The Royale, All My Sons, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, The Way of the World, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Carmen Jones and Rodeo with Point Park Dance Company.
Miranda Gonzalez* / Production Stage Manager
Miranda Gonzalez (they/she) is a stage manager born and raised in Brownsville, TX. They are thrilled to be returning to Gloucester Stage after their apprenticeship with GSC last season. They’re a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University (‘23) in Tacoma, WA where they received their BA in Theatre with additional minors in Philosophy, Communications, and Pre-Law. Highlighted credits: Assistant Stage Managing at Austin Shakespeare for Romeo & Juliet and El Cid. Plus Stew (Regional Premiere) and Tall Tales From Blackburn Tavern (World Premiere) at GSC. She looks forward to forging new connections between intersectionality, the principle of proximity and theatre.
Bahar Royaee / Sound Designer
Born and raised in Iran, Bahar is a composer of concert and incidental music. Her compositions are a mixture of timbral and sound-based atmospheric structures, interspersed with lyrical influences derived from her Iranian background. Her works have been performed worldwide, including Italy, Greece, Germany, Canada, Iran, and the USA. Bahar was recently recognized as a runner-up in National Sawdust’s 2018-19 Hildegard Competition. Other awards include the Roger Sessions Memorial Composition Award, Walter W. Harp Music & Society Award, John Bavicchi Memorial Prize, and the Korourian Electroacoustic Award. Bahar received her M.M. in composition from Boston Conservatory, where she studied with Marti Epstein and Felipe Lara, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. from CUNY where she studies under Jason Eckardt and Suzanne Farrin.
Emme Shaw / Properties Designer
Emme is thrilled to be back with Gloucester Stage! Previous work with GSC includes: Stew, Private Lives, Out of the Mouths of Babes, Cyrano, The 39 Steps, Native Gardens, Baskerville, Reparations, and Paradise Blue. Other recent credits include Miss Holmes Returns with Greater Boston Stage (design/acting), and BLKS (Elliot Norton recipient design), Strange Loop, English, Fairview, and The Prom with Speakeasy Stage. Emme is the Properties designer and supervisor at Boston College Theater Department, and a graduate of Carnegie Mellon Drama. Thank you to Phoebe.
Vahdat Yaganeh/ Cultural Consultant + Dramaturg
Excited for his debut production at the Gloucester Stage, Vahdat Yeganeh is a Learning Lead at the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University. He is also the founder and the artistic director of the Boston Experimental Theatre where he practices Towards the Theatre of Unknown and Dialogue of Civilizations. Vahdat is the assistant artistic director and faculty member at PersPsy Psychoanalytic, where he teaches seminars and workshops on Theatre and Psychoanalysis. Vahdat has published a research paper called Drama for dialogue of civilizations (Wiley Library, 2023), and is publishing his second paper, Devised Drama as Social-Emotional Learning this September at Anglica International Journal. Recipient of the Best directing award from Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (2007), and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival for the best future movie (2008), Vahdat has worked at Yale Repertory, SpeakEasy Stage Company, Central Square Theater, New England Conservatory, Boston University, Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis, and Hamava Institute of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (Iran).
Yijia Yu / Assistant Director + Apprentice
Yijia has been doing theater throughout high school and college. She recently graduated from Brandeis University with a double degree in Anthropology and Theater. Yijia assistant directed Without Blinking: A Devised Participatory Performance About Climate Action, Stupid F*cking Bird, and Twelfth Night at Brandeis Theater Department. She also directed Mountain Language by Harold Pinter for her senior thesis. She is excited to join Gloucester Stage this season!
Critical Praise for Sanaz Toossi’s Wish You Were Here
“It’s exciting to see a portrayal of the complexity of female friendships”
“Locates beauty, love, laughter, longing, pain, and loss”
“Their friendship is its own saga of constantly fluctuating degrees of intimacy and friction”
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA)
ºThe Director is an associate member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC)
† Represented by United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829 of the IATSE
WISH YOU WERE HERE is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com