NASSIM
- A Bush Theatre (UK) and Nassim Soleimanpour production
- By Nassim Soleimanpour
JUMP TO: Dates, Run Time, Playbill, & More
“Dear performer. I want to show you something. Did you know, in Farsi my name is written like this: ‘.ROUPNAMIELOS MISSAN si eman yM’”
From Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour (creator of the Off-Broadway smash hit White Rabbit, Red Rabbit) comes an audacious new theatrical experiment. Each night, a new, unrehearsed local performer joins the playwright on stage, while the script waits, unseen, in a sealed box... Touchingly autobiographical yet powerfully universal, NASSIM is a striking theatrical demonstration of how language can both divide and unite us.
How audience members have described the show (no spoilers!):
- "Assume nothing! Expect a heartfelt introduction to a stranger's life."
- "Don't ask any questions. Have a cool things in your pockets. Go!"
- "The format – audience and performer sharing an exciting, unique experience each night – is built upon and cleverly communicates the touching, genuine life experience of the playwright."
- "An intimate, playful way to connect across cultures. A celebration of the power of language and its risks!"
- "It happens in a theater but isn’t quite a play. The playwright is involved in a whole new, engaging, humorous, personal way."
- "The best walk-a-mile-in-someone-else’s-shoes experience I’ve ever had."
- "It never occurred to me that such a beautiful story could be told in this way."
More About This Production
Nassim Reading List
Calling all readers! Multnomah County Library put together a reading list inspired by our production of Nassim.
Meet the Cast & Creative Team
The Cast
Nassim is an Iranian playwright and the Artistic Director of the Berlin-based Nassim Soleimanpour Productions. His plays have been translated into over 40 languages and were performed thousands of times by the biggest names in the industry worldwide. Best known for his plays White Rabbit Red Rabbit and NASSIM, he has mastered the format of cord-read, where a new actor performs his plays for the first and last time in front of a live audience. On March 13, 2021, to mark the anniversary of COVID, 120 producers across the globe put on White Rabbit Red Rabbit at the same local time. In 2024, he will premiere his new play ECHO at the London Royal Court and release Mr. K and the Flowers by audible.
Local Performers
Each night, a new, unrehearsed local performer joins the playwright on stage. These are listed below according to the date and time of their performance.
| Saturday, March 30, 2024 at 7:30pm | Zia McCabe |
| Sunday, March 31, 2024 at 7:30pm | Charles Grant |
| Wednesday, April 3, 2024 at 7:30pm | Crystal Ann Muñoz |
| Thursday, April 4, 2024 at 7:30pm | Chris Murray |
| Friday, April 5, 2024 at 7:30pm (Opening) | Larry Owens |
| Saturday, April 6, 2024 at 7:30pm | Brian Kidd (Unipiper) |
| Sunday, April 7, 2024 at 2:00pm | Subashini Ganesan-Forbes |
| Sunday, April 7, 2024 at 7:30pm | Allen Nause |
| Wednesday, April 10, 2024 at 7:30pm | Lee H. Tillman |
| Thursday, April 11, 2024 at 11:00am (Student Matinee) | Dr. Zena (McDaniel High School) |
| Thursday, April 11, 2024 at 7:30pm | Jennifer Lanier |
| Friday, April 12, 2024 at 7:30pm | David Saffert |
| Sunday, April 14, 2024 at 2:00pm | Susannah Mars |
| Sunday, April 14, 2024 at 7:30pm | Joaquin Lopez |
| Wednesday, April 17, 2024 at 7:30pm | Matt Zaffino |
| Thursday, April 18, 2024 at 2:00pm | Madeleine Tran |
| Thursday, April 18, 2024 at 7:30pm | Dana Green |
| Friday, April 19, 2024 at 7:30pm | Cristi Miles |
| Saturday, April 20, 2024 at 2:00pm | Isaac Lamb |
| Saturday, April 20, 2024 at 7:30pm | Darius Pierce |
| Sunday, April 21, 2024 at 2:00pm | Courtney Freed |
| Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at 7:30pm | Bobby Bermea |
| Thursday, April 25, 2024 at 2:00pm | Gerrin Delane Mitchell |
| Thursday, April 25, 2024 at 7:30pm | Ashley Song |
| Friday, April 26, 2024 at 7:30pm | Lacey Evans |
| Saturday, April 27, 2024 at 2:00pm | Joseph Costa |
| Saturday, April 27, 2024 at 7:30pm | Dana Millican |
| Sunday, April 28, 2024 at 2:00pm | Cynthia Shur Petts |
| Sunday, April 28, 2024 at 7:30pm | Montserrat Andreys |
| Wednesday, May 1, 2024 at 7:30pm | Kevin Cook/Poison Waters |
| Thursday, May 2, 2024 at 2:00pm | Michele Mariana |
| Thursday, May 2, 2024 at 7:30pm | Francisco Garcia |
| Friday, May 3, 2024 at 7:30pm | La' Tevin Alexander |
| Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 2:00pm | Reid Ewing |
| Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 7:30pm (BIPOC Affinity Night) | Rebby Yuer Foster |
| Sunday, May 5, 2024 at 2:00pm | Linda Hayden |
| Sunday, May 5, 2024 at 7:30pm | Beth Thompson |
| Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at 7:30pm | Conor Eifler |
| Thursday, May 9, 2024 at 2:00pm | DJ Curtis |
| Thursday, May 9, 2024 at 7:30pm | Orion Bradshaw |
| Friday, May 10, 2024 at 7:30pm | Andy Perkins |
| Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 2:00pm | Nicole Marie Green |
| Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 7:30pm | Katie Nguyen |
| Sunday, May 12, 2024 at 2:00pm (Closing) | Chris Williams |
The Creative Team
Dana is so excited to be back at Portland Center Stage for her fourth season. Previous shows at PCS include Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really Young Americans; It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play; tick, tick … BOOM!; Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Assistant Stage Manager); RENT; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time; Redwood; and In the Heights (Production Assistant). Dana has also worked at Third Rail Repertory Theatre, Portland Playhouse, and The Old Globe. Dana graduated from The Ohio State University (Go Bucks!) and is a proud member of Actors Equity Association.
For This Production
Taz Coffey, Production Assistant
Mads Hamilton (They/Them), Sound and Video Engineer,
Heather Taylor (She/Her), Costume Maintenance Technician
What People Are Saying
Local Reviews
"In this play, the playwright is inviting the guest performer, and the audience, into a dance of empathy and connection." —Oregon ArtsWatch
"For an evening, family love and language learning successfully brought Nassim’s audience back to when they were all young." —Willamette Weekly
"NASSIM is more than an incredible piece of theatre. It’s an incredible experience. And one I recommend to anyone and everyone, especially if you’re feeling a little lonely and in need of some community." —BroadwayWorld
"That's the thing Nassim creates, in both its performers and in its audience: It's wonder, and it's delicate." —Portland Mercury
Audience Raves
"It was SO good! I didn’t know what to expect but definitely didn’t expect what it was. It was both funny and touching."
"Inventive, creative, well acted -- full of humor and a little pathos. All that we look for in your productions."
"This show connects all people and lets us share what we have in common. I love how it draws in the whole audience."
"It was just fantastic. Engaging, thoughtful, simple, and complicated! Loved it. Thank you."
"Funny, touching, thought-provoking … and we have only seen it once, so I imagine each performance is a bit different, which is genius."
"It produces wonder for both the playwright and the audience ... and the journey takes place in real-time!"
"I was all that I love about live theatre!! Unexpected, stimulating, accessible, unifying, and thought-provoking."
Critic Reviews
“The most unconventional theater experience you will ever encounter … It is a play for innovators, dreamers, and people who aim to break boundaries. It’s a breeze, it’s a delight, and it is a must-watch,” said Ishita Mathur, Pelican Magazine
Current & Upcoming
Improvisation Classes for Beginners
Whether you're looking to get more confident in social situations, think quicker on your feet, or get in touch with your imaginative side, these "one-off" improv classes will set you on the path to success!
Adult Class : TWELFTH NIGHT, Before & After
Join veteran actor Joe Costa for a unique opportunity to take a “deep dive” into both Shakespeare’s text of Twelfth Night, and the PCS Production. Participants will read the play out loud as a group, with “intermissions” provided for lively discussion of themes and content. Interested participants will have a chance to act in selected scenes, guided by the instructor.
Albina Music Trust presents A Brown Branch Christmas
Celebrate this holiday season with A Brown Branch Christmas at Portland Center Stage. Now in its fourth season, this two-night big band celebration features directors Domo Branch and Charlie Brown III guiding a heavy 15-piece lineup of regional and national musicians.
BIPOC Affinity Night DJ Party with ALoSo
Join us for a double feature BIPOC Affinity Night, featuring a live DJ set by ALoSo, plus holiday craft market vendor tables, art exhibits by Albina Music Trust Wall to Wall Sound and Jason Hill's Favorite Things, with complimentary select drinks provided by Multnomah Whiskey Library and Deschutes Brewery while supplies last.
Winter Teen Academy: Scene Work
Calling all teens! Are you looking to expand your acting skills and be the best scene partner you can be for your fellow actors? In this class, we will dig deep into scene study, character motivation, and active listening, while learning the necessary questions to ask in every rehearsal situation. You'll develop fuller characters and deeper relationships on stage by partnering in scene work — and have lots of fun too!
Acting Shakespeare: Monologues
Dive into the world of the Bard and explore the excitement of performing Shakespeare!
Portland Center Stage is committed to identifying & interrupting instances of racism & all forms of oppression, through the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, & accessibility (IDEA).
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