Marzi (Marzieh) Ashrafian

Theatre Director | Dramaturg | Scholar | Educator

I began directing in Isfahan, Iran, where working with young performers, puppets, and devised theatre taught me to treat the rehearsal room as a place of inquiry. That experience continues to shape both my artistic practice and scholarship. I am interested in how bodies and objects carry histories, how performance makes political experiences visible, and whose methods and stories are recognized as worthy of attention.

My work today moves among directing, dramaturgy, research, and teaching. My scholarship focuses on Iranian and SWANA performance, feminist resistance, puppetry, and actor training. I approach these interests through both scholarly research and the practical questions that emerge when people create theatre together.

I defended my Ph.D. in Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Kansas with honors in September 2026, with formal degree conferral expected in December. I currently serve as a full-time Lecturer in Communication Studies at KU.