We believe that stories and art can positively impact our world. Two Chairs supports diverse voices and actively uplifts underrepresented communities across the US.
Prince of Sorrows
Prince of Sorrows tells the moving tale of Siavosh a young Prince whose pursuit of good virtue and integrity is never enough to outrun his ill-starred fate. The promise of a better tomorrow is his only comfort as he is thrust from one misadventure to the next. Likened to a Shakespearian Tragedy Siavosh’s journey ultimately leads him to a hero’s death that gives birth to a nation’s peace and prosperity. Still relevant today the legend of Siavosh is synonymous with sacrifice and rebirth.
Creator, Designer, Director: Hamid Rahmanian
Original Music by Loga Ramin Torkian
Feature vocalist: Azam Ali
Funded in part by NYSCA.
Song of the North
A family-friendly shadow puppet production, is the second installment of Kingorama’s shadow play trilogy and a timely tale of love and adventure. Using puppets, shadow casters, and digital animation, this show tells the story of ancient Persia's Princess Manijeh, a hero who rescues her beloved from a perilous predicament of her own making.
Song of the North is a project of Kingorama. It is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, The National Theater Project, New York State Council on the Arts and the Brooklyn Arts Council.. The touring show is represented by Elsie Management
Funding provided by
National Theater Project
National Endowment for the Arts
Hamid and Christina Moghadam Foundation
New York State Council for the Arts
Jim Henson Foundation
Brooklyn Arts Council
The Seven Trials of Rostam
Two Chairs artists Hamid Rahmanian and Simon Arizpe team up again to create a truly incredible work of art. This new pop up book tells a fantastic tale of Iran’s mightiest warrior, Rostam. Beautiful imagery and eye popping paper engineering will make this new book a must have for lovers of mythology and art books.
Feathers of Fire
A Cinematic shadow play for all ages. Feathers of Fire: A Persian Epic is a visually breathtaking cinematic shadow play for all ages, created and directed by Hamid Rahmanian, a 2014 Guggenheim fellowship-winning filmmaker/visual artist. The play unfolds an action-packed magical tale of star-crossed lovers from the 10th-century Persian epic Shahnameh, Zaul and Rudabeh, who triumph at the end against all odds. (2015-2018)
Funded in part by the Jim Henson Foundation.
Bequeathed
Bequeathed is a surreal comedic semi-autobiographical puppet show about inherited gender roles and the fight to transcend beyond societal expectations- all told through a fantastical fiber arts world. A full length work in progress showing will premiere in the autumn of 2024.
A puppeteer, fiber artist, and mover, J Hann's textural work draws inspiration from the past and is centered in the weird, wonderful, and whimsical. They have been a resident artist at Governor's Island and The Object Movement Festival. When not performing or making, they teach puppetry and fiber arts workshops for all ages, including past workshops at: the Museum of Arts and Design, Arts Connection, and The Jim Henson Foundation among others.
Funded in part by NYSCA.
Jerry’s Last Stand
A feature-length documentary directed by Mexican American filmmaker Louisa Merino tells the story of Jerry Yellin, one of the last veterans from WWII, who enlisted to fight the Japanese, after their attack on Pearl Harbor. Jerry returned home from the war as a decorated pilot and suffered from severe post-traumatic stress disorder for years. It was only when he found Transcendental Meditation decades later that he began the road back to himself. When his son moved to Japan and married a Japanese woman, Jerry was confronted with his decades-old fear and hatred. As he confronted his enemy as his new family, he soon found that his hatred had transformed into love. Today, Jerry has six grandchildren, three of them Japanese. At 91 years old, Jerry’s mission is to promote peace and understanding between different cultures. (2020)
Zahhak: The Legend of the Serpent King
An exciting shadow play performance that tells of the misguided Prince Zahhak who is easily swayed by the devil to do away with his crowned father and usurp the thrown. Part of our Ancient Stories from Around the World Series (2014-2019). Partly funded by the Brooklyn Arts Council.
Artists include Hamid Rahmanian, Neda Kazemifar, Ian Sweetman, Leila Ghaznavi, Mehdi Darvishi and Hedayat Shafaee.
Presented at Smithsonian Museum at Sackler Museum for Asian Art (2019), Tirgan Festival, Toronto (2019), BAM Brooklyn Academy of Music (2017), National Sawdust / Persian Arts Festival (2017), Brooklyn Public Library (2016), Public Schools across NYC with support from Brooklyn Arts Council and Good Shepard Services (2016), Honolulu Museum of Art (2015) and Asia Society NYC (2014)