Avaaz is a funny, heartfelt, and deeply personal one-person play by Michael Shayan that invites audiences into the home of Roya, his larger-than-life Iranian mother, as she prepares to celebrate Nowruz, the Iranian New Year.
As Roya welcomes her guests and prepares a feast, she begins sharing the story of her life: growing up as a Jew in Iran, leaving Tehran after the revolution, building a new life in Los Angeles, and raising a queer son as a single mother. What begins as a festive gathering becomes a moving journey through memory, identity, immigration, family, and survival.
Performed by Shayan himself, who portrays his own mother, Avaaz blends humor, storytelling, cultural tradition, and genuine affection into an intimate theatrical experience. Warm, vibrant, and often very funny, the play is ultimately a celebration of resilience, reinvention, and the complicated bonds between parents and children.