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For my mother, for my grandmother, for all women, for the future...

Content Warning: This show features flashing lights and loud sounds

This is NOT a true story

ABOUT THE SHOW

It’s the middle of June and you’re at an airport bar. She’s perched in a corner drinking gin and reading about revolution in dark times. She’s got a line from a poem tattooed on her arm and you ask her who wrote it. She makes you strawberry jam and tells you about Sylvia Plath and other women who lived through wars, contemplated divorce, and bought a lot of fancy dresses. It’s almost winter now and you bring her home to meet your parents. They think her name is interesting.

A darkly comic auto-fiction performance installation about displacement, divorce, and dark times, IRANIAN GIRLFRIEND combines solo performance, video installation, and runway fashion to unpack the untold history and precious objects of a woman on the run, challenging America’s narrow sense of self while offering fresh perspectives on womanhood and belonging.

Cast

Creative Team

Meet the Cast & Company

Asal Takesh

Performer

Asal Takesh (She/Her) is a theater practitioner, scholar, and emerging creative technologist born in Iran and based in New York City. Having trained at Playwrights Horizons Theater School and the inaugural cohort of the Innovation Studio within NYU Tisch Drama’s B.F.A. program, Takesh is a Senior additionally in pursuit of an Honors degree in theatre studies and a minor in the Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology. Devotion to an understanding of how we relate to ourselves and others within the contemporary moment propels Takesh’s work towards the interrogation of genealogical and cultural inheritance, memory, and reinventions of the Self within a research-based model. Her practice includes direction (The Beast, The Mother, & The Kid), performance (The Seagull), and sonic production through performance-based works. Poetry drives the root of her practice: image-making as ritual. www.asaltakesh.com IG: @asaltakesh & @aethaus Until liberation.

Shiva Kiani

Performer

Shiva Kiani (She/Her) is an award-nominated Iranian-American actor and singer. Credits include: Proof, The Crucible, RENT, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change and, most recently, a reading of a new play at The Kennedy Center. Shiva co-produced and starred in the film Waiting at Newkirk Avenue as a sarcastic hit-woman jaded by the male-dominated crime world. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona Theatre Arts and Creative Writing programs and studied musical theatre at CAP21 in NYC. Shiva is a member of the SWANA Writer's Co-Op, currently housed by NYTW. IG @shivajkiani. Visit: www.shivakiani.com.

SB Tennent

Writer, Director, Performer

Sanaz B Tennent (She/Her) is a first-generation Iranian-American interdisciplinary artist and director of new plays, musicals, and classics. Her work has been described as “visually arresting” (ONE Magazine) and “unapologetically experimental” (Time Out NY). Her practice spans live performance, film, pop-political collage, and experiential installation, all united by a focus on alternative structures that balance the personal and political. Sanaz is also a dedicated teacher who emphasizes collaboration, risk-taking, and the iterative creative process. She cultivates an environment where students think critically, develop their unique voices, and create impactful work. She views her teaching and artistic practice as a unified praxis—where mutual exploration and growth enrich both her students and her own creative evolution. Her work has been developed at Onassis ONX Studio, Mercury Store, BRIC, Ars Nova, New York Theatre Workshop, 3LD Art & Technology Center, Mabou Mines, The Bushwick Starr, Prague Film & Theater Center, The Red House Center for Culture & Debate in Bulgaria, Goldex Poldex Gallery in Poland, Ikincikat Theatre in Turkey, Laguardia Performing Arts Center, and others. She is an alumna of The Drama League Stage Directing Fellowship, the NYTW/2050 Fellowship, New Georges Audrey Residency, and the Clubbed Thumb Directing Fellowship. She is a recipient of NYSCA’s Support for Artists grant and a two-time finalist for the Barbara Whitman Award. Sanaz is the Co-Founder and Director of Built4Collapse, an award-winning arts collective. @sbtennent

Yung-Hung Sung

Scenic Design

Yung-Hung Sung (He/Him) is a lighting and scenic designer originally from Kaohsiung, Taiwan. He has collaborated with numerous theatre artists and companies. With over 90 productions, his design footprints have already been seen around several nations/festivals and major theaters in Taiwan, such as the National Theater of Taiwan, National Taichung Theater, and the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts. Also, Edinburgh International Festival Fringe (UK), Proyector Festival (Spain), Beijing Dance Festival, Shanghai International Festival of Arts (China), Migration Matters Festival (UK), ChangMu Performing Arts Festival (Korea), Festival of Avignon Off (France), etc. Selected awards include Ten Lines of Poetry to NK with Neo-Classic Chamber Ensemble, which received Bronze for Professional Lighting Design at the World Stage Design Exhibition 2022 in Calgary, Canada. With the urgency to respond to outbreaking global events and as a designer who sees all sectors in panorama, Sung finds the uniqueness and essence of live performance lie in its direct, multi-dimensional impact on the perceivers. He believes the emotional connection between the performers and the audience transcends the use of sophisticated words, intellectual concepts, and stunning visual effects. A thought-provoking performance can happen on a bare stage devoid of any design. He holds a Design MFA from the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. He is also the recipient of the Jennifer Tipton Scholarship in Lighting, Stanley McCandless Scholarship, Donald and Zorka Oenslager Scholarship in Stage Design, William and Sarah Hyman Scholarship, and Government Scholarship to Study Abroad by the Ministry of Education, Taiwan.

Marika Kent

Lighting Design

Marika Kent (She/Her) is a Brooklyn based lighting designer. Recent/upcoming: Ulysses; Seagull (Elevator Repair Service), Get Your Ass in the Water… (The Wooster Group), Not Not Jane's, Usus (Clubbed Thumb), Noises Off (Pittsburgh Public Theater), Sweeney Todd; Clyde’s; Choir Boy; Gem of the Ocean; School Girls, or the African Mean Girls Play (Portland Center Stage), Fences (Trinity Rep), POTUS (Arena Stage), Sweetwater the Gospel of Iman; Bernarda’s Daughters; Amani (National Black Theater). Marika teaches design at NYU’s Playwrights Horizons Theater School and is a proud member of USA Local 829. www.marikakent.com

Ein Kim

Projections Design

Ein Kim (She/Her) is a media artist and a projection designer. Hailing from South Korea, she earned her MFA in projection design from David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. Her artistic journey is dedicated to unraveling the universal language of visuals, transcending geographical and linguistic boundaries. Selected recent credits include Eden (Yale Repertory Theatre), Gianni Schicchi & Seven Deadly Sins (Sprague Hall), Yellow Face (Todd Haines Theatre, Animator), and Veremonda (University Theatre). Ein’s works expand beyond theatre; her video installation projects include Moving Sculpture: Streams (Schwarzman Center), and You See What You See (Yale Kondonlean Studio). einkim.com / @seedonmars

Karen Boyer

Costume Design

Karen Boyer (She/Her) designs and builds costumes in NYC. This will be her third collaboration with Built for Collapse (previously: Danger Signals, Drunk Fish Ocean Rant). Other collaborators include choreographers Catherine Galasso, Faye Driscoll, Sidra Bell, Abigail Levine, Sarah Dahnke, nicHi douglas, Katy Pyle, and Sunny Hitt; Opera Columbus, Fresh Squeezed Opera, and theater makers Yangtze Rep, the New Wild, Outside In Theater, Object Collection, harunalee, and Target Margin Theater. BFA: Maryland Institute College of Art, MFA: NYU Tisch. karenrachelboyer.com.

Chad Raines

Sound Design & Composer

Chad Raines (He/Him) is a Composer and Producer of Original Content for Media and Theatrical Productions since the turn of the millennia. chadraines.com / @radchaines

Franny Sebastiano

Props Design & Scenic Charge

Franny Sebastiano (She/Her) is also a scenic designer and fine artist with a passion for crafting immersive theatrical environments. She has brought and contributed to dynamic visual storytelling to projects across the entertainment industry, including projects for Broadway, TikTok, Warner Bros., Disney Studios, Nike, Six Flags and Amazon. Some of her charge credits for paint and props include, Falstaff, Mamma Mia, Fright Fest, and Two Sisters Find A Box Of Lesbian Erotica In The Woods. Franny has a BFA in Scenic Design from the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Purchase College and is also a recipient of the William Bartmann Memorial Award and the Gordon Craig Memorial Award, recognizing her excellence in art and design. She would like to thank her friends and family for their support but especially her first mentor, Jim Del Vecchio, who encouraged her to pursue this career almost 15 years ago and continues to be her biggest fan! frannysebastiano.com / @frannybriana

Georgia Evans

Dramaturgy & Assistant Costume Design

Georgia "George" Evans (She/They) is a queer NYC-based theatre artist and alum of Playwrights Horizons Theatre School. After being the Inaugural Directing Fellow at Built4Collapse, she is now one of their associate artists, and is so excited to be lending her dramaturgical and design eye to Iranian Girlfriend. Her directing work was most recently seen at the 2025 ChaShaMa Gala, The Vino Theatre, and The Tank. Her design credits include Seaglass (WP), Much Ado About Nothing (NYU Meisner), The New Electric Ballroom (Hedgerow Theatre), Passage (NYU Meisner), and Office Plays (NYU Meisner). PA credits include Boop! (Broadway), Once Upon a Mattress (Broadway), and Book of Mormon (National Tour). georgia-evans.jimdosite.com / @georgiaevso

Rhys Luke

Associate Director

Rhys Luke (He/Him) is a director, writer, sound and puppet designer based in Brooklyn. He received a BFA in Drama from NYU Tisch: Playwrights Horizons Theater School. Recent directing credits include Almost Like Being Alive, Enigmatology, and directing for the 24 Hour Plays: Nationals 2025. He served as the Directing Fellow at Built 4 Collapse from 2024–2025, culminating in associate directing Iranian Girlfriend. @rhys.not.in.pieces

Josephine Hawley

Associate Producer

Josie (She/Her) is an actor, singer, dancer and now producer originally from Queensland Australia, based in NYC. With a love of all things weird and creative, she was told she might be a good producer when her friends saw her colour coded notes from school. This is the second Josephine has produced; recent acting and production credits include Miss Universe, It’s Wet You F*ckers, and Blue Stockings. @josephineehawleyy

Sarah Hasson

Stage Manager

Sarah Hasson (She/Her) is a multi-disciplinary manager and creative, originally from the Washington, D.C. area. She can be found working across disciplines, from stage management to scenography and radio. Sarah recently stage-managed for the 24 Hour Plays: Nationals 2025 cohort, Seaglass at the WP Theater, Dance Out Loud at Tribeca Performing Arts Center, and Emergence Choreography Showcase at Gibney Dance. sarahhasson.com | @hassonsarahi

Bianca Koniuk

Wardrobe

Bianca Koniuk is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She has worked in many capacities in film and theater, including directing, performing, and costuming. Her recent credits include Godspeed (Writer/Director), My Mind’s Refrain (Assistant Director), and Last Day of Byron Bray with West 52nd Films (Costume Assistant). Bianca is thrilled to be part of Iranian Girlfriend and grateful to share the stage with such a talented team!

Dave Tennent

Production Manager

Amaya Martinez

Assistant Stage Manager

Laura Elliot

Producer

Waxman Legal

Legal Council

Kaleigh Ceci

Social Media Manager

Sydney Caprio

Social Media Content Creator

Sydney (She/Her) is a stage manager who moonlights as a graphic designer and social media content creator for organizations and businesses like New Georges, The Movement Theatre Company, and Little Sister Creative. Sydney is a self taught artist/editor who started out as one of those middle school girls who loved drawing one scarily detailed anime eye in her notebook. sydneycaprio.com / @sydneycaprio

Shreya Patel

Poster Design

Photos

Credits & Thank yous

IRANIAN GIRLFRIEND is presented In Collaboration with New Georges, an artist service program in which New Georges actively partners with artist/producers to help steward independent productions of new works we love. In Collaboration with… is supported by Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation.

This work is developed, in part, with support from Theater Mitu’s Artists-At-Home Program. With thanks for support from Brooklyn Arts Council, The Puffin Foundation, NYSCA’s Support for Artists grant, and The Anna Sosenko Assist Trust.

Additional developmental support from Mercury Store, PRELUDE Festival, New York Theatre Workshop, The Bushwick Starr, Fresh Ground Pepper, and Woodward Residency.

The Anna Sosenko Trust

New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA)

The Puffin Foundation

Justin Nestor &MITU580

Thank you to our Community Partners

The Beer Garage

About Built4Collapse

BUILT4COLLAPSE is an award-winning arts collective committed to making highly athletic & bold new work that asks difficult questions about our current moment.

DIRECTOR

SB Tennent

PRODUCER

Laura Elliott

ADVISORY BOARD

Laura Elliot, Vincent Santvoord, Dave Tennent, SB Tennent, Jennifer Waxman

SELECT AWARDS

Prague Fringe Inspiration Award for Best New Work

Rome International Selection

Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant

LMCC Manhattan Community Arts Fund Grant

Founded in 2009, the core team of collaborators is continually evolving and expanding. To date, they have collaborated on 10 original theatrical productions, 1 film, and a gallery exhibition.

Their work has been seen in New York at Brooklyn Lyceum, Galapagos Art Space, BRIC, HERE, Ars Nova, 3LD Art & Technology Center, Abrons Art Center, New Ohio Theatre, JACK, Grace Exhibition Space, The Brick, Dixon Place, Laguardia Performing Arts Center, Theater for the New Audience, Riverside Park, Hudson River Park, Hangar Theatre, The Tank, Brick Aux, etc. They have worked internationally in Prague, Poland, Germany, Italy, Turkey, England, and Bulgaria.