Leila Yavari Social Science
The Politics of Repression and the Arts of Subversion: Contemporary Theater in Iran
Leila will travel to Iran this summer to research Iranian theater, in order to assess the extent to which live theatrical performances offer a location for the subversion of censorship laws–and with what repercussions. She will be investigating censorship guidelines, analyzing scripts, observing performances, attending theater classes at the University of Azad, and interviewing students, directors, actors and playwrights. Leila’s project is a particularly timely one, because of the new movement toward political reform in Iran and the resulting opening of academic exchange opportunities with the United States. Her research, which she will present as her Senior Honors Thesis in Political Science, will provide new insight into the political significance of theater in a post-Revolutionary society.
