THE CONFERENCE ON IRAN

Little Things Orchestra presents for the first time in Greece

“The Conference on Iran”

by Ivan Vyrypaev
Directed by Christos Theodoridis

Following the successful productions of Who Killed My Father by Edouard Louis, which ran for two seasons at PLYFA and Proskenio Theater, earning the 2022/23 “Karolos Koun” Theater and Music Critics Award for International Theatrical Repertoire and the 3rd Directing Award at the 9th All4fun Audience Theater Awards 2023, as well as To Those Who Listen to Me by Loula Anagnostaki, produced by the National Theatre of Northern Greece and staged with great success in Thessaloniki and Athens (Spyros Evangelatos Amphitheater, in collaboration with the cultural organization “Lykofos”), Little Things Orchestra now presents the Greek premiere of Ivan Vyrypaev’s The Conference on Iran, directed by Christos Theodoridis.

Written in 2018 and set in Denmark—the country known for having the happiest people in the world—Vyrypaev’s play takes us to a conference hall at the University of Copenhagen, where nine members of the intellectual elite gather to discuss the complex “Iranian Question” and the conflict between East and West. However, The Conference on Iran soon transforms into The Conference on Us, sparking a clash of ideas about the universe, human existence, and the eternal question of life’s meaning.

“So, what should I do?”
“What we all do—cry and love.”

Through a “feverish” dialogue that shifts from philosophy to science and from conservative to progressive thought, Vyrypaev’s play explores the deeper causes of humanity’s current state, linking the “political” to the “personal” while emphasizing the irreplaceable void left by the absence of communication and love.

“Honestly, I couldn’t quite figure it out. Why do I live?”

What does it mean to live?
Is there an answer to this timeless question?

Little Things Orchestra invites the audience to a performance-conference, where they will encounter nine speakers grappling with their understanding of the world around them, only to confront the universe within themselves.

Performance Dates:

• December 28 & 29, 2024 (Saturday & Sunday at 20:30)
• January 4 – 28, 2025 (Every Saturday, Monday, Tuesday at 20:30; Sunday at 20:00)
• February 1 & 2, 2025 (Saturday at 20:30; Sunday at 20:00)

Duration: 120 minutes (with intermission)

The production is supported by the Ministry of Culture.