The play Karnameh-ye Bondar Bidakhsh, written by Bahram Beyzai and directed by Sanaz Pourdashti and Mehdi Vahidravesh, is currently in its third run at the Decor Theater and Music Complex, running through August 18, 2025 (28 Amordad 1404).
This classic Persian play, featuring an ancient and elegant dialect, tells the story of a scholar who creates a magic mirror reflecting the world and presents it to King Jam. Blinded by his desire for the mirror’s power, Jam fears the scholar may craft more mirrors that fall into enemy hands and orders his death. The narrative is delivered through two monologues and parallel storytelling, with actors sharing the story directly with the audience.
The first run was held in April and May 2025 at Tehran City Theater, and the second in June and July 2025 at Labkhand Theater Complex. The production is produced by Sajad Afsharian, with Hassan Fazli portraying King Jamshid, and features minimalist stage design.
Hassan Fazli explains Jamshid’s character as follows: At the start of the play, Bandar and Jamshid share five monologues that resemble a courtroom scene. Jamshid is initially portrayed—as Bandar describes him—as a compassionate ruler who cares for his people and is remembered kindly. This positive image remains until Jamshid receives the magic mirror (Jam-e Jahanbin). After gaining the mirror, his negative traits take over, and he uses its power to assert dominance. He creates a place called Var, where he removes flawed and inferior people and replaces them with perfect, healthy, and superior ones.
Mehdi Vahidravesh sees Beyzai’s play as more than a story about Iranian kings or political purges. At its core, it examines human nature. Before Jamshid had the mirror, he wished to see where people suffered so he could help. But once he has it, he loses that compassion and challenges humanity itself. Beyzai critiques power and history throughout the play, highlighting the complexity of Jamshid—not as an outright tyrant, but as a ruler whose corruption grows with power.
The Decor Theater and Music Complex is located on Haqqani Highway, National Library Boulevard, within Tehran’s Book Garden.
