Ritual Music to Cure a Lover

In Shahin Sayadi's "Ritual Music to Cure a Lover," storytelling, original music and captivating character work collide in one of this year's most beautiful solo pieces. Throughout the 60-minutes, Sayadi portrays several characters, showcasing his powerful acting chops. Specifically, he embarks on sharing the Persian mythology of Farhad, his beloved Shirin, and their son. While taking some liberties in creating this work, Sayadi stays true to the source material: an ancient love poem. ... full review

Intense. Held your attention Thought provoking. ... full review

Shahin Sayadi's "Ritual Music to Cure a Lover" is one of the most fascinating performances of this year's festival. Sayadi is quite mesmerizing as he explores in fine detail, an ancient Persian love poem, and brings it full circle into modern day culture, with a pointed light directed at the youth of Iranian society. You're doing yourself an injustice if you don't join Shahin Sayadi on his impeccably staged journey.... full review

Beautiful mystical work by a man who carry’s the heaviness and heart of his homeland. ... full review

A tremendous experience. Shahin gives a mesmerizing, phenomenal, tour de force performance that captivates every moment. He embodies so many different characters, giving life to a remarkable and timeless story of love, family, and tradition. This is a special piece of storyrtelling, and one that will stick with you long after you leave the theatre. ... full review

Ritual Music to Cure a Lover is a powerful and emotionally resonant theatrical work that blends myth, poetry, ritual, and family drama to explore the conflict between tradition and personal freedom. Through its story of a son struggling against inherited expectations, the play examines themes of love, identity, generational trauma, and cultural change within the context of contemporary Iran.... full review

This is a wonderful whimsical, but intense piece. Shahin Sayadi has carefully woven folktale into a deep and personal piece in this mesmerizing retelling of classic Iranian folktales. ... full review

Shahin Sayadi's Ritual Music To Cure A Lover is a poetic, dreamlike journey into a land and people rooted in ancient history and folklore. I enjoyed every precious moment of Shahin's powerful performance about a family torn apart by pride, ritual, fate and longing. ... full review

Sayadi conjures IRANIAN myths about family mortality, pearl diving, pregnant women, exorcism, darkness and light in nature, superstitions, paternal power, and child empowerment. Sayadi performs all the characters with intense passion and integrity. I learned about PERSIAN culture and universal themes about family and romantic love.... full review

Intimate, powerful, and inspiring, I was mesmerised by Shahin Sayadi’s performance from the very moment he walked on stage to the conclusion of our time together. Beautiful, poetic, and at times frightening and unexpected, this piece has piqued my curiosity in Iranian history and mythology. Through the specificity of his work, Shahin has created a piece that is relevant and relatable across cultures. I appreciated how open and vulnerable Shahin was with his audience, effortlessly connecting with us during key moments. ... full review