Anyone who’s done theater has probably had some version of the actor’s nightmare: You find yourself alone onstage, you don’t know what the show is and you don’t know any of your lines. While this may seem like just a fantasy scenario, it’s actually the premise for the “Nassim,” a remarkable play from the Huntington Theater Company, now playing at the Calderwood Pavilion through Oct. 27.
Written by Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour, “Nassim” is a one-of-a-kind theatrical experience. A one-person show, the play is performed by a different guest actor every night. The guest performer arrives at the theater with no preparation and no prior knowledge of the show, and it’s up to them to tackle the unseen script, which is waiting for them onstage in a sealed box. The guest performer is aided by Soleimanpour, who flips through the script backstage — the pages are projected onto a screen above the stage so the audience, and the performer, can follow along. Both deeply personal and universal, the play explores Soleimanpour’s childhood in Iran, his relationship with the performer and the audience, and the unifying power of language in an incredibly powerful production.
At the Friday performance, the guest performer was legendary actor Tony Shalhoub, who has won four Emmys for his performances on “Monk” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and a Tony for his role in “The Band’s Visit.” Performing “Nassim” is no easy feat for anyone, but Shalhoub is a natural onstage — he had the audience’s full attention from the moment he delivered his first line. His witty humor and ad-libbed retorts to Soleimanpour’s script were the perfect match for the playwright’s cleverly constructed script, allowing actor and playwright to have a conversation of sorts, although Soleimanpour barely spoke a single word in English.
Soleimanpour grew up speaking Farsi and knew very little English when he debuted the play in London in 2017. Since then, Soleimanpour has taken “Nassim” around the world, including 20 countries in just 200 days in 2018. Early on in the show, Shalhoub explains to the audience that Soleimanpour wrote the play with two key goals: to learn new languages and to meet new people. Over the next two hours, Soleimanpour’s script does just that, presenting Shalhoub with a series of prompts that help them get to know each other, asking him to name his favorite restaurant in Boston (not a local, Shalhoub chose the Legal Sea Foods in Logan Airport), his favorite English swear word (smugly, he selected “asswipe”) and a meaningful photo from his cell phone. At its core, the play is about connection — if all goes according to plan, Soleimanpour and the performer will be friends by the end of the night. More importantly, you’ll be friends with them too.
While the show’s design elements are minimalistic by nature, its production design is unique, focusing on multimedia storytelling. From the start, the large screen that projects the script onto the stage is a vital part of the narrative, giving both Shalhoub and the audience a window into the playwright’s world and instructions on how to proceed with the story. While the screen begins as little more than a set of virtual cue cards paired with the expressive hands of Soleimanpour, it quickly becomes a canvas for the story to blossom, inviting the audience into the world of “Nassim.”
Tony Shalhoub is pictured onstage at the Calderwood Pavilion during his performance of "Nassim" on Friday.
One of the play’s key themes is the desire for connection across cultural and linguistic barriers. Throughout “Nassim,” our playwright and Shalhoub teach the audience words and phrases in Farsi, the official language of Iran. Together, the audience learns phrases like “Salam mumun,” which means “Hello mother,” and “Delam tang shodeh,” which means “I miss you,” or literally, “my heart tightens.” Soleimanpour sees language as a powerful unifying force, one that strengthens the bond between himself and the performer as they learn how to speak to each other. He also uses language to connect the story back to memories of his childhood and his mother. The language of his childhood resounds through the theater, bringing everyone together with simple yet powerful phrases. The weight of these words cannot be overstated — they burrow deep into your chest, settling into your heart with no intention of leaving.
The connection between the audience, playwright and performer is amplified through audience participation. Shalhoub was often instructed to turn to the audience for suggestions, giving the crowd a way to leave their mark on the show. At one point, three audience members are picked to tell a story with Shalhoub in Farsi, mirroring a childhood game Soleimanpour played with his mother in which the participant must eat a cherry tomato for each word they pronounce incorrectly. Far from an act of humiliation, the exercise is a powerful lesson in the ways language unites and divides us.
While the show will certainly be a unique experience with each performer who takes it on, Soleimanpour’s presence is the one constant that makes the show so special. His comedic instincts and his ability to think on his feet are crucial to the play’s success, as is his capacity to connect with the audience on a deep emotional level. We won’t spoil the ending here, because Soleimanpour’s ability to send the audience into a fit of laughter in one moment and leave them wiping away tears in the next just has to be seen to be believed.
The beauty of “Nassim” is its accessibility, to both theater lovers and newcomers alike. If you’ve never seen theater in Boston before, make this show your first. You won’t regret it. “Nassim” runs through Oct. 27 at the Calderwood Pavilion. You can purchase tickets starting at $29 on Huntington’s website.
