Our Town: An Exploration by an Iranian Theater Director of an American Classic Play

This thesis details my creative process as I directed Our Town, written by Thornton Wilder, at the University of Massachusetts Amherst during the 2024-2025 season. I describe my overall concept, initial text analysis, design ideas, highlights of staging specific moments, and highlights of working. This includes a summary of my journey in theater from Iran to the US, and explains different aspects of my vision, work, and ideas as an Iranian director and how I could practically work on Our Town, a classic American play influenced by Eastern and unconventional theater. I tried to compare my directing experience in the US with what I previously experienced in Iran and briefly explain the differences. Key words: Theater Directing, Iranian Theater, Our Town, Eastern Theater, American Classic