Babilla Chronicles, Part I

Don't know if Histriomastix has any Miami readers, but if so, let me recommend the following event in your neighborhood: a production of Three Angels Dancing on a Needle by exiled Iranian playwright-director-performer Assurbanipal Babilla. A triptych of surreal monologues, this seriocomic whimsy was first produced around 1989 in the basement of the Emerging Collector, a storefront art gallery on Second Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets (now a manicurist's shop). In 1998 Babilla would return to the dark underground grotto for a 3-month run of his lacerating solo monologue, Something Something Uber Alles, which I directed. This revival of Three Angels is being staged by the awesomely informed and witty Michael Yawney, who's taking Miami theater by storm. According to Michael, Three Angels might be about "looking for god in all the wrong places. Each character tries to achieve ecstacy: They refer to lovers in terms usually reserved for god. And I think they all die." Well put, sir. I've been meaning to post something about Bani (rhymes with "fanny"), since the man exerted such an influence over my post-college theatrical training and aesthetic development. Right now I'll say he radicalized my attitudes toward identity, religion, ritual and the notion of a theatrical sublime. Bani was inspired to create theater after seeing Grotowski's The Constant Prince in the 60s, and his experiences in Islamic-revolutionary Iran in the late 70s would profoundly shape his mystic-trickster attitude toward religion and politics. He's a flamoboyant, lively and mischevous fellow, Falstaffian and Puckish all at once. He went from being a celebrated, state-funded avant-gardist in pre-revolutionary Iran to, well, these days he serves cappucinos to Bill Clinton in Chappaqua. It's a long and winding road, and I hope to start a journey down it with him.

Comments

[Juliana]

Bani Babilla is amazing! I worked with him on Reza Abdoh's sprawling epic "Father was a Peculiar Man" while I was still in school. He played one of the brothers from "The Brothers Karamozov" (Hell's if I can't remember which brother) and he was so vivid and great, like a more impassioned Steven Berkoff. I had absolutely no money, was living off candy bars and laughing cow cheeses that I shoplifted from delis. Bani noticed this and let me share his dinner while he told me great stories about Persia and theater and all sorts of things.

[David Cote]

Hi Juliana! Congratulations on your funny/gutwrenching performance in "Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven." Yeah, Bani also told tales of Reza and that ambitious production, with all its technical gaffes and logistical nightmares. I was up at college at Bard at the time, and still kick myself for not getting down to see it. (Not to mention two Abdoh shows when I actually WAS living in NYC). That's for a later post, "10 Shows I Deeply Regret Having Missed." Anyway, thanks for visiting. More on Bani in future weeks.

[Juliana]

Thank you for your very kind words re: DRAGONS! I feel very, very lucky to be working on it! re: FATHER WAS A PECULIAR MAN - did Bani tell you about how the production also disrupted the workplace of about 20 transvestite prostitutes? They were all very gracious about it!
I just learned from Reza's longtime videographer Adam Soch that all the videos of the Reza's work have finally been transferred to DVD, which are available for purchase for not-too-much $ (though I believe there's a minimum order of 10.) If anyone is interested in this, please feel free to email me and I will send on the information.

[David Cote]

I don't remember Bani talking about the trannies but he told me about an insane 5-hour dress rehearsal, with some flooding? It's all a blur. Thanks for the tip about getting DVDs. I will be in touch about that.