The Chord

About the show:

When Meysam is a small boy, his sister dies in a house fire. At least, that’s what he’s told. But he has other memories stashed away which no one will explain: He remembers the anguished confession of a young guy in a prison cell. Talks of an international arrest and the hanging of four men in the village square.
Now that he’s an adult, and most of his family is gone, will those who remain tell the truth which has been hidden from him?
The Chord is an Iranian family tragedy and murder mystery. It tells the story of women’s resilience and the societal bonds which test it to the limit.

Bios:

Actor and storyteller Meysam Forooz is a graduate of the Mezrab Storytelling School. Many of his stories are based on his life in Iran, the country he fled in 2016. In 2021 he made his first solo with co-creator Sahand Sahebdivani, Four Weddings and an Iranian Funeral, about the lives of gay men in Iran. The daring piece played on Dutch stages as well as during Europride in Belgrade.

Sahand Sahebdivani is one of the founders of the Mezrab Storytelling School as well as an accomplished performer. He won the Amsterdam Fringe Gold award in 2017 and since 2018 he is the co-artistic director of the Amsterdam Storytelling Festival. Sahand also has an Iranian refugee background, which makes him the perfect partner for the work of Meysam.

Raffi Feghali is a theatermaker, peacebuilder, and trainer based between Amsterdam and Beirut.
He‘s directed more than 35 performances since 2009; most recently Standing on the Miraculous Field (2023, Netherlands) and Shou Zaki @ Beirut Holidays Festival (2024, Lebanon).
He has performed in more than 60 shows worldwide, under many international directors. He’s currently touring with Anatomy of a Home, his second autobiographical monodrama directed by Bryan Reynolds.
Raffi is one of the people who brought improv to Lebanon in 2009 and he has recently embarked on a journey taking him back to his storytelling roots. Halim Al-Hakawati, the solo improv show directed by Stephen Kearin he’s touring with now, resulted from this blend.

Bence Huszar is a cellist of Hungarian origin. Towards the end of his institutional studies Bence felt the need to dive further into his personal musical expression. He took classes with Ernst Reijseger who helped him develop his own musical language and style of playing. Bence has also been exploring electronics in combination with an electric cello. This opened the door to possibilities of new sonic colours. His musical versatility led him into a variety of groups and ensembles performing world music, experimental classical music and cross-over genres such as Lunapark, Trio Escapada, Ikarai and Arifa.

Credits:

Makers: Meysam Forooz / Sahand Sahebdivani
Performers: Meysam Forooz / Raffi Feghali
Music: Bence Huszar
Technician: Jugal Bhinde