MARYAM’S PREGNANCY
The play begins with Maryam howling like a dog and sniffing a garbage can. She’s so hungry, she says, she dreams of swimming in a broth of carrots and peas–her own “dog soup.” Then another actress comes out of the audience claiming to be the “real” Maryam, and accuses the first actress of portraying her falsely. It’s as if the writer were being called to account for her portrayal of her subject–by her subject. Through this device, Goushegir freely admits her own inability, and that of any playwright, to create or re-create a story without resorting to some affectation.
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Maryam’s Pregnancy is one of those small productions that can bring a big issue (such as women’s sexual rights) down to a manageable size through a simple story, interesting characterization, and the right mix of seriousness and irreverence.
