The play “Me”, directed by Mostafa Haraeini, blends psychoanalysis, philosophy, and symbolism in narrating a love that begins with passion and ends in destruction.
According to Boraq Hamim Art News Agency and reported by Mehr News, the play “Me”, written and directed by Mostafa Haraeini, is currently being staged at Tehran’s Palace of Art and has captured the attention of theater enthusiasts. This performance presents a philosophical, psychoanalytic, and romantic narrative where the boundary between imagination and reality dissolves before the audience’s eyes.
The central storyline follows an individual who decides to live with himself. He calls out to his own voice, which creates another persona called “My Me”. Their relationship, which begins with fascination and affection, gradually turns into conflict, tension, and ultimately, destruction. This narrative unfolds across eight acts, while the written version of the play—published by Noda Publishing and now in its third edition—was originally structured in nine acts.
One of the most striking aspects of “Me” lies in its symbolism and stage design. The set consists of two layers: a square and a circle. The square represents the protagonist’s home and reality, while the circle reflects his imagination, unconscious, and dreamscapes. This interplay creates a multi-layered experience where reality and fantasy blur into one another.
Haraeini explains that the play draws on Freudian psychoanalysis, incorporating concepts such as id, ego, and superego. The character “My Man” is depicted as a projection of the protagonist’s psyche—sometimes a mirror, sometimes an adversary, and sometimes the embodiment of the Lacanian “Big Other.” Philosophically, the performance engages with Jacques Lacan’s ideas of “the Other” and “space,” deepening its intellectual scope.
The execution of the play is equally remarkable. The main actors—Iman Sayyad Barahani and Sepandar A’lam—mirror each other’s movements and dialogues in the opening scene, resembling identical twins. This “mirror scene,” a result of six months of rigorous rehearsal, powerfully underscores the play’s theme of confronting one’s double. It leads the audience to ponder: What happens when you stand face-to-face with your own creator or alter ego?
Beyond philosophy and psychoanalysis, “Man” is visually rich and theatrically inventive. The production employs video mapping, sound effects, symbolic props, and even surreal moments—such as a character fighting a giant elephant—to portray repressed desires, traumas, and longings.
Despite the artistic achievement, Haraeini points to the economic challenges faced by theater productions in Iran. Rising costs and the impact of current socio-political tensions have reduced audience numbers. Nevertheless, he has sought to keep ticket prices stable so that theater remains accessible to the public.
“Me” is being performed from August 10 to September 10, every evening at 9:00 PM, in Tehran’s Palace of Art. The creative team includes writer and director Mostafa Haraeini, producer Alireza Shayesteh, and actors Iman Sayyad Barahani and Sepandar A’lam.
This play represents an effort to intertwine Iranian-Islamic artistic sensibility with deep philosophical and psychoanalytic concepts. Through its symbolic staging, innovative execution, and layered narrative, it successfully erases the boundaries between imagination and reality while confronting audiences with fundamental questions about identity, love, and destruction.
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