Mohammad Yaghoubi
Full name: Mohammad Ali Yaghoubi Kiyase
Born and raised in Iran, Mohammad Yaghoubi is an award-winning playwright, director, screenwriter, theatre instructor, and the co-artistic director of Toronto-based NOWADAYS THEATRE company.
His plays have been translated into six languages and produced in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Kurdistan, Russia, Sweden, The Czech Republic, Turkey, and the USA.
With over a decade of experience in theatre, Mohammad moved to Canada in 2015. After founding NOWADAYS THEATRE company in 2016, Mohammad Yaghoubi staged the English premiere of his play ‘A Moment of Silence’ at the 2016 SummerWorks Performance Festival. ‘A Moment of Silence’ has been anthologized as one of the new Iranian plays published by Aurora Metro (United Kingdom) in 2021.
In 2018, with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, he wrote his first play in English ‘Persimmon’. Toronto Arts Council has also awarded him a grant in 2020 to write his second play in English titled ‘Earworm’.
Recent Credits: ‘Earworm’ (Crow’s Theatre, 2024), ‘Persimmon’ (360-degree video project), ‘Winter of 88’ (Next Stage Theatre Festival, 2020).
Selected Awards: The Promising Pen Prize from Cahoots Theatre for his play ‘Persimmon’, 2021; The National Theatre Critics Society Award for Outstanding Play – Drought & Lies; First place winner of the Iranian Playwrights Society and third place winner of the New Play Contest in Toronto’s Fringe Festival – 2016 for Outstanding Writing – A Moment of Silence; The National Theatre Critics Society Award for Outstanding Writing – Geraniums; The National Theatre Critics Society Award for Outstanding Direction- Dance of Torn Papers and the Tehran Theatre Festival Award for Outstanding Writing and Directing – Winter of 88.
Resume
Language: Persian, English
SELECTED WRITING AND DIRECTING EXPERIENCE:
February 2024
Earworm (World premiere)
Playwright &Director, with the generous support of the Toronto Council for the Art and Ontario Arts Council, at Crow’s Theatre, Toronto, Canada.
August 2022
Persimmon (360-degree videos)
Playwright &Director, with the generous support of the Canada Council for the Art and Canadian Stage.
Jan 2022
Heart of a Dog (English Premiere)
Playwright &Director, at Next Stage Theatre Festival, Ada Slaight Hall, Daniels Spectrum, Toronto, Canada.
June 2021
Dance of Torn Papers (Online presentation, 360 Degree Video)
Playwright &Director, at Toronto Fringe Festival, Toronto, Canada.
Jan 2020
Winter of ’88 (English Premiere)
Playwright & Director, at Next Stage Theatre Festival, Factory Theatre MainSpace, Toronto, Canada.
March 2019
The Only Possible Way (English Premiere)
Playwright, Director. At Canadian Stage, Toronto, Canada.
Nov 2018
Dance of Torn Papers(English Premiere)(Co-Directing with Aida Keykhaii)
Playwright & Co-Director, at Studio 313, DanceMakers, Toronto, Canada.
Jun 2018
Angels In Iran
Playwright & Director, at George Ignatieff Theatre, Toronto, Canada.
Aug 2017
The Monsters (Naghmeh Samini)
Director. At Fairview Library Theatre, Toronto, ON, Canada
Sep 2016
The Pillowman (Martin McDonagh)
Co-Directing with Aida Keykhaii. At Fairview Library Theatre, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Also performed on 06 of October 2016, at the second international festival of Martin Mcdonagh, Theatre U Mosta, Perm, Russia.
Aug 2016
A Moment of Silence
Playwright & Director, on 6th to 14th of August, SummerWorks Performance Festival, Factory Theatre Mainspace, Toronto, ON.”
Feb 2016
Proof (based on the play by David Auburn)
Adapting and Directing. At Fairview Library Theatre, Toronto, ON”
2015
Drought & Lies
Playwright, Director. On February the 28th in Montreal, On March the 8th in Vancouver, On March 13th in Toronto, Canada.”
- It was also made into a film written by Mohammad Yaghoubi and directed by Pedram Alizadeh, in June 2015.
A Moment of Silence
Playwright, on 14th to 16th of June, Directed by Azadeh Mohammadi, Prague, The Czech Republic.
2014
The Only Possible Way
Playwright, Director. Staged reading in Persian, Toronto, Canada
A Moment of Silence
Playwright. Staged reading in French, on 1 March by Théâtre de Poche in Brussels, Belgium”
2013
The Pillowman (Martin McDonagh)
Director. At Iranshahr, Tehran, Iran”
2012
Proof (based on the play by David Auburn)
Adapting and Directing. At Niavaran, Tehran, Iran”
2011
Winter 1988 (remount)
Playwright & Director. At Theatre Shahr, Tehran, Iran
2010
Writing in the Dark
Playwright, Director. At Theatre Shahr, Tehran, Iran”
The Curious Savage (John Patrick)
Director. TV Drama, Channel 4, Iran.”
2009
Drought & Lies
Playwright, Director. At Theatre Shahr, Tehran, Iran”
- Also performed at the Theatre an Der Ruhe, Germany on October 22nd.
2008
Machismo (based on the novel The Honorary Consul by Graham Greene)
Playwright, Director. At Theatre Shahr, Tehran, Iran”
People Sleep (Ali Nasirian), TV Drama,
Director. Channel 4, Iran.”
The Heart of a Dog (TV Drama, based on a novel by Michael Bulgakov)
Adapting and Directing, Channel 4, Iran.”
2006
Moon in the Water (Farsi Premiere)
Playwright, Director. At Theatre Shahr, Tehran, Iran”
People Sleep ((TV Drama),
Director. Channel 4, Iran.”
Winter of ’88 (TV Drama, based on a novel by Michael Bulgakov)
Playwright, Director. Channel 4, Iran.”
2004
Geraniums
Playwright, Director. At Theatre Shahr, Tehran, Iran”
2003
Red and Others (Farsi Premiere),
Playwright, Director. At Theatre Shahr, Tehran, Iran”
2001
A Moment of Silence (Farsi Premiere),
Playwright, Director. At Theatre Shahr, Tehran, Iran”
1999
Till Tomorrow (Rima Raminfar)
Playwright, Director. At Theatre Shahr, Tehran, Iran
Dance of the Torn Papers (Farsi Premiere),
Playwright, Director. At Theatre Shahr, Tehran, Iran”
1998
Winter 1988 (Farsi Premiere),
Playwright, Director. At Theatre Shahr, Tehran, Iran”
HONOURS AND AWARDS
2020-The Promising Pen Prize (Cahoots Theatre) for writing his play ‘Persimmon’.
2019-Awarded grant by the Toronto Arts Council to write his second play in English ‘Earworm’.
2019-Received grant by the Canada Council for the Arts and the Toronto Arts Council to direct English premier of his play ‘The Only Possible Way’ with Iranian newcomers and refugees).
2018-Canadian Stage (RBC Emerging Company In-residence).
2018-Awarded grant by Toronto Arts Council to direct English premier of his play “The Only Possible Way” with Iranian newcomers and refugees.
2018-Awarded grant by Ontario Arts Council and Toronto Arts Council to direct English premier of his play “Dance of Torn Papers”.
2018-Awarded grant by The Canada Council for the Arts to write his first play in English “Persimmon”.
2016-The laureate diploma for the most original vision of the play “The Pillowman” at the Second International Festival of Martin McDonagh, Perm, Russia.
2015-Third place winner of the New Play Contest in Toronto Fringe Festival for Outstanding Play, A Moment of Silence
2014-The National Theatre Critics Society Award for Outstanding Play, Drought & Lies
2012-“Iranian Playwrights Society Award at the Iran Theatre Forum, for Outstanding Writing, A Moment of Silence”
2010-“Theatre Critics Society Award at the Iran Theatre Forum for Outstanding Direction,Drought & Lies”
2004-The National Theatre Critics Society Award for Outstanding Writing, Geraniums
2002-The National Theatre Critics Society Award for Outstanding Direction, A Moment of Silence
2001-The 19th Fadjr International Theatre Festival of Iran Award for Outstanding Direction, A Moment of Silence
2000-“The 18th Fadjr International Theatre Festival of Iran Award for Outstanding Direction, Till Tomorrow”
1999-“-The National Theatre Critics Society Award for Outstanding Direction, Dance of Torn Papers
-The 17th Fadjr International Theatre Festival of Iran Awards for Outstanding Writing and Direction, Dance of Torn Papers”
1998-The 16th Fadjr International Theatre Festival of Iran Awards for Outstanding Writing and Direction, Winter 88.
TRANSLATED PLAYS
A Moment of Silence (into English, French, Turkish and Kurdish)
Drought & Lies (English, German, Kurdish and Turkish)
Winter of ’88 (French and Kurdish)
Moon on the Water (English, Turkish and Kurdish)
The Only Possible Way (English and Kurdish)
SELECTED TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2022
- Online writing workshop, NOWADAYS THEATRE;
- Online Acting workshop (with Aida keykhaii for 6 months), NOWADAYS THEATRE.
2021
- Online Acting workshop (with Aida keykhaii for 6 months), NOWADAYS THEATRE;
- Online Play-reading workshop (with Aida keykhaii for 6 months), NOWADAYS THEATRE;
- Online writing workshop, NOWADAYS THEATRE.
2020
- Online Acting workshop (with Aida keykhaii for 6 months), NOWADAYS THEATRE;
- Online writing workshop, NOWADAYS THEATRE.
Aug 2019 – Acting & directing workshop (with Mohammad Yaghoubi for 3 months), At OISE (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto).
March 2019 -Acting & directing workshop (for 4 months), resulted in a theatre project in English with Iranian newcomers named “The Only Possible Way” for three days at Canadian Stage, Upstairs Theatre, Toronto, in March 29-31, 2019.
Nov 2018 – Acting & directing workshop (with Aida Keykhaii for 4 months), resulted in a theatre project on stage named “Dance of Torn Papers” for three days at Studio 313, DanceMakers, Toronto, November 2-4, 2018..
Oct 2017 – Acting & directing workshop (for 4 months), resulted in a theatre project on stage named “Angels in Iran” for two days at George Ignatief Theatre, Toronto in June 2018.
Sep 2016 – Playwriting at New wave Artistic company, Future School, Toronto
March 2016- Playwriting at New wave Artistic company, Future School, Toronto
2014 – “Acting, directing, and playwriting at OISE (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education,University of Toronto)”
2012 Playwriting to MA students at Tehran University, Iran
2011 Playwriting to BA students at Tehran University, Iran
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
“2010-2014 / Member of the Managing Board at the Iran Theatre Forum
“2004-2012 / Member of the Managing Board at Iran’s Playwrights Society
“2002-2004 /-Member of the Managing Board at the Iran Theatre Forum
-Member of the Managing Board at Iran’s Theatre Directors Society”
Interviews with Mohammad Yaghoubi
- Creative freedom censored in Iran
- ّInterview with Playwrights Guild of Canada – Featured Member — Mohammad Yaghoubi
- ّNext Stage 2022: In Conversation with Nowadays Theatre’s Mohammad Yaghoubi
- Entretien avec Mohammad Yaghubi, un écrivain devant l’État iranien
- “A MOMENT OF SILENCE” THE CANADIAN PREMIERE OF AN IRANIAN PLAY
- INTERVIEW WITH MOHAMMAD YAGHOUBI, ACCLAIMED IRANIAN PLAYWRIGHT AND DIRECTOR
- Whispers behind the Frontline