The Iranian Conference

The action of “The Iranian Conference” unfolds at an academic conference at the University of Copenhagen. The conference speakers are influential scholars, public figures and members of the clergy. At first glance, Iwan Wyrypajew’s play seems to be a social, or even political, debate among its characters about democracy, liberal and conservative views, human rights and freedoms, and the geopolitical situation in today’s global world. But as the action gathers pace, it becomes clear that this story is not about politics at all, but about the characters’ personal experiences, wounds and desires.

The playwright, Iwan Wyrypajew, says of his play: “I see that today many progressive people on the planet, on whom important social changes depend, are increasingly asking themselves: is there a solution to this critical global situation that would work for everyone? And what is this critical situation? What is the problem? The problem is that we, human beings, have not learned to live with one another on this planet. It is the 21st century outside the window, yet we still divide up territories, categorize one another by blood, nationality and race, and believe that the spiritual path we recognize is the only right one. How are we to live in such a world? The global world has become small. We are all like residents of a single communal apartment. We wage wars and suffer because of them. At last, the question of the meaning of life has begun to be heard in the so-called progressive circles of today—among scholars, politicians, businesspeople and artists. We are all gradually coming to the conclusion that, if we want to change anything in our world, we must understand the meaning of our lives and the meaning of life in general. If these questions once seemed to belong to esotericism, religion and philosophy, today they are increasingly raised at major business forums, in political discussions and at academic conferences. What is the meaning of life? And is there any meaning to life beyond the question itself? The most important thing is becoming clear: even if the meaning of life remains a mystery to many, this question is nevertheless becoming urgent and important to an ever-growing number of people on our planet. There is no point in running a business, carrying out political reforms or making art if we do not firmly understand why we are doing these things and where we are going. So, for me personally, this play is about Knowledge. But I would like everyone to discover something of their own.”

At the 11th Dalia Tamulevičiūtė Professional Theatre Festival in Varėna in 2020, the production received the following awards:
• Aleksandr Špilevoj was named “Best Director” for directing “The Iranian Conference” at Juozas Miltinis Drama Theatre.
• Barbora Šulniūtė received the “Best Set Design” nomination for the set design of Juozas Miltinis Drama Theatre’s production of “The Iranian Conference”, based on Iwan Wyrypajew’s play (dir. Aleksandr Špilevoj).
• To the actors of Juozas Miltinis Drama Theatre: Laimutis Sėdžius, Vytautas Kupšys, Ieva Brikė, Toma Razmislavičiūtė-Juodė, Jolita Skukauskaitė, Balys Ivanauskas,