“Andy Warhol in Iran” Now in Pittsburgh at City Theatre

 

    If part of the reason the folks in charge at City Theatre chose “Andy Warhol in Iran” to close out its 2023-24 season was to fire up its subscriber base and get newbies to the theater to subscribe as well, it chose well.

    The two-actor, 80-minute-long play by Brent Askari, of both Irani and American parentage, is entertaining, intellectually stimulating, well written, with moments of stressful drama intermixed with considerable humor, well-acted and directed and embellished with commendable support by the talented tech crew.

    As the lights go up on stage we find an annoyed Andy Warhol alone in his room at the Tehran Hilton in July of 1976. In the Iranian capital to take Polaroid photos of the shah’s wife, Empress Farah Pahlavi, as a basis for a portrait commission, we find him complaining about the heat and in an irritated state.

    The playwright takes the actual historical event of Warhol’s visit and turns it into a what if conjecture, the what if being the entry into his room of a youthful revolutionary disguised as a room service waiter delivering caviar.

    Soon the true purpose of the revolutionary is revealed as he brandishes a gun and tells Warhol of his intention to kidnap the famous artist to bring worldwide attention to the brutality of the shah’s regime in ruthlessly dealing with it political opponents.

    Jeffrey Emerson stars as Andy, topped with Warhol’s wildly recognizable, unruly white wig that makes him look as though he was sitting on top a Van de Graff generator.

    Emerson plays the Pop artist as a somewhat fey, antic character, naïve about politics but acutely aware of the business aspect of his craft. Askari also gives him some of play’s best comedic lines.

    Arian Rad as the revolutionary, Fahrad, is understandably nervous as he intimidates the fearful Warhol into a state of shock. However, hidden under his zealous intentions is a political partisan who isn’t quite as ruthless as we might imagine.

    During the exchange that follows we learn about Warhol the apolitical artist and the country of Iran just before the revolution of 1979. There are tense moments when we fear for Warhol’s safety as the conversation grows heated but also learn about Farhad’s back story and what led him to make the political decisions he made along with the actions he hopes to take with his like-minded associates.

    As the two adversaries talk, they come to understand each other’s point of view and realize a shared commonality of shared experiences. Eventually, Warhol is able to get the upper hand of the situation, but without giving away the ending, he’s also forced to make a difficult (for him) ethical and moral decision.

    The play flows for a seamless 80 minutes that’s packed with emotion, humor and political insight. Adding to the overall enjoyment of this fine presentation of theater craft is scenic designer. Michael Raiford’s tasteful rendition of a 1970s high end hotel room and projection designer, Mike Tutaj’s clever projections of related imagery that includes looks at some of Warhol’s most famous works and historical images of Iran that help explain the play’s historic context.

    Marc Masterson directs what will be his last production as City Theatre’s co-artistic director prior to his retirement this year. Fans and friends of his can take heart that he plans to return next season to direct City Theatre’s production of “Birthday Candles.”

    From what I understand, “Andy Warhol in Iran” is still undergoing a certain amount of finessing of the text. My only suggestion is to reconsider the scene where the Fahrad employs a disguise to evade detection by the Savak, the Iranian secret police. I found the disguise and its implementation a bit silly and felt the scene didn’t quite fit the tone of the rest of the play.

    Despite this personal annoyance, the play is a gem that has political implications that still reverberate to this day and, for those looking beyond politics at entertainment, just sit back and simply soak it all in.

    “Andy Warhol in Iran” is at Pittsburgh City Theatre, 1300 Bingham St. on Pittsburgh’s South Side through May 12. For tickets, go to citytheatrecompany.org.