 Hello, welcome to Global Connections on the ThinkTech live streaming network series. I'm your host, Grace Cheng, and today we have with us today Masi Ganjali to talk about building bridges between societies which might not have a lot of contact with each other such as the U.S., Iran, and others through the arts. So I would like to welcome Masi to the program. Thanks for coming today, Masi. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thanks for having me on the show. Good, good. Thank you for being here and have you talked about what you've been doing recently, some really exciting things. So I'm really keen to get into that. Can you just give us first a little bit of background about yourself and what you do? Sure. I am a theater artist. I came to Hawaii from Iran when I was 13 and I've been on this island for 20 years. In these 20 years, I've done a lot of theater around University of Hawaii at Manoa, our community theater scene, and also international works that I'll talk about on the show. Yeah. And I've seen you and probably others in Hawaii have seen you in various productions from Chinese Beijing opera to Shakespeare to a whole range of very, very different theatrical traditions. Yes. Can you tell us some things about some of the kinds of arts that you do to kind of build bridges between cultures? Sure. Well, I started doing theater at Kepilani Community College, and from there I went to University of Hawaii at Manoa. And at the same time I was doing theater around town, what I'm most interested about is theater that represents different cultures, cultures that we may not be able to access immediately here, but cultures that are really interesting to look at and study. My first contact with world theater was Chinese opera, specifically Jingju, which is an opera form from Beijing. And I received professional training at University of Hawaii at Manoa and performed my first show back in 2005. And that was an eye-opening experience to the possibilities of theater, things that we can learn through theater, things that we can teach others through theater. And that started my sort of, I hope, lifelong path in theater. As I got more involved, I started doing shows around town, but also kept in mind that what I want to do is tell my own story, and that is a culture that's hardly represented here on the island and anywhere in the United States. So starting in 2008, I looked at possible projects that I could do here on the island, and there was a play that I was particularly interested in. It was called Puppets by one of Iran's most famous playwrights from the 20th century. And we did that show at the Shangri-La, Durastu Foundation for Islamic Arts, and also at University of Hawaii at Manoa. And the reception that we received was so welcoming and so great that gave me the energy to just do more and more from there. After Puppets, I did a few other shows. I also did another Beijing opera back in 2009 and 2010. And there were other shows, like there was a Japanese kabuki. There were different styles of theater that University of Hawaii offers every year. And I always kept busy with those and graduated with my undergraduate and decided to get my master's. And I continued with Asian Theater Program at University of Hawaii at Manoa and got my master's in fine arts. In the three years that I was there, I directed a show called The Butterfly, which was my thesis show. It was another Persian show that we did. This time, our audience was the younger ones. It was a theater for young audiences production, and luckily we sold out every show. And the reception that we received was really heartwarming because I put a lot into that production. And yeah, throughout the years what I wanted to do is show a different culture to people of Hawaii, to my American audience, a culture that's less known here, and a culture that has a lot to offer. Mm-hmm, yes. Well, we're very fortunate to have you here in Hawaii, a local Iranian boy. And I know you have put together a few productions in Hawaii as well as worked in Iran on some theatrical productions over there. Yes. Yeah, so tell us about how it is to kind of bridge those and work with people here in the States and in Iran and exchange. What I do here is sort of a continuation of what I would like to do back home in my first home in Iran. Every time I go back, I try to get busy with the theater scene and productions that are happening. And what I do, what my mission is when I'm there is to represent Hawaii, represent sort of a culture that they don't get to experience. And I've done two productions so far in Iran, one puppetry production that we put up at the University of Tehran back in 2010, and production that we just did recently at the 16th International Puppetry Festival in Tehran. And I'm happy to say that we won a special performance award for that production. And that was also with the University of Tehran kids, mostly undergraduates and students that are just beginning to experience theater and experience what it's like to continue this path professionally. Yeah. What's the theater scene like as well as the theater programs and universities over in Iran compared to your experience over here in the States? I'm happy to say that the experience that we get here is unparalleled. My university, University of Hawaii at Manoa is exceptional for the fact that it offers Western theater, Hawaiian theater, Asian theater, children's theater. We do history, we do technique, we do theory, we do practical work. And it's the only department in the world that I know that offers this range of knowledge with exceptional professors. And that's something that I do not take for granted. It's something that I try to make as much use as I could in my time there. So that's sort of my experience here at home. When I go to Iran it's a completely different scene because they have access to artists and a whole field of knowledge that's not represented here. University of Hawaii focuses on East Asia and to a large part South Asia, but there isn't really a lot happening on the island as far as West Asia and Middle East. And that's where I thought I would be of service to our community here. My work in Iran is with kids, university students and professors that want to learn more techniques that are offered here. So I do workshops and I do productions that have that flavor. How did you make these contacts in Iran? Is it through your great work that they've heard of and your other contacts in the profession? So it started with a trip to Iran back in 2009. I was there and it just happened that someone told me, hey, there is a theater festival happening. You should go check it out. I was like, okay, great, you know, and I went there and I saw puppetry forms that I've never seen anywhere else in the world, things that I've only heard of in books or things that I remembered from my childhood but never really saw live. And I met really good artists and they were kind enough to give me time to talk to them. And as soon as I got here, I knew I want to go back and study with them. There's a puppetry professor at, I forget which university, but he works in the north of Tehran and he does a marionette theater that's indigenous to Iran. And also, I made contact with one of Iran's best storytellers and when I went back the next year, I studied with them for two and a half months. And that was my initial sort of like connections in the theater scene there. I was lucky enough to get funding from University of Hawaii at Manawa's honors program and from the Russian Cultural Institute. They both funded my research trip to Iran, which was about three months. And it all started then. I knew that I would do more stuff, I just didn't know how. And I was lucky to make close contact with a professor at the University of Tehran and she's been the most amazing person in the professional work for me. Her name is Pupak Azimpur, a researcher and professor at the University of Tehran and the production that we did a few weeks ago at the international festival was sort of like she was the head director. So it seems like even though we don't have the formal connections that artists easily, this is an easy way to connect with people around the world as an artist, you're always in craft. Definitely. I mean, even artists here, they're eager to know more about what's going on there. Okay, well, thank you, Masi. And you've been watching Global Connections. We're going to take a short break right now and then we'll come back and talk more with Masi Ghandjali about building bridges through the arts. I'm your host, Grace Chang, so stay tuned. Hi, I'm Donna Blanchard. I host the show Center Stage on Think Tech Wednesdays at 2pm and this is Crystal I'm Crystal and I host Qwok Talk on Tuesday mornings. I like watching Donna's show. You do, I like watching your show. I like watching your show because you talk about you're not afraid to really dive into issues that are important and sometimes they're a little shocking and you always bring us information that is sometimes the underbelly that we need to know and we need to see it's important. Well said. Well, I like yours because you can find any topic in any type of character but you will find that source which brought them to the product of that creative process. And I thought that's like the most important thing is the process. Awesome. Right? Yeah, I do. I think it's all about the process and I think we'll find world peace when we know each other's stories. So thank you very much for bringing it to us. Join us on Think Tech. Think Tech. Hawaii. Anytime. Hello. Welcome back to Global Connection. I'm your host, Grace Chang and we have in the studio today with us Masi Ghandjali talking about building bridges through the arts, particularly U.S., Iran, as well as beyond. Okay, we're back. And we were saying earlier about your work as far as an artist and, you know, where however distant we are as societies for whatever reasons, artists seem to be able to connect through, you know, your common craft and passion. And you're a theater artist, you're also a photographer, you've done various exhibitions in addition to producing, acting, and theatrical production. So yeah, I'd love to hear more about those. Okay. My research trip in Iran back in 2010 was divided between theater and my photography work. And when I came back with 39,000 photos, I put up three exhibitions. Two at the Hamilton Library, University of Hawaii at Manoa. And one at the Theater and Dance Department at the University. And the first one was called Common People, Common Places, Photography from Iran. I was interested in showing people things that they wouldn't see otherwise, things that they wouldn't see in the news. Nothing sensational, nothing dramatic. I was interested in presenting the arts and culture more than anything else. And for a lot of people, that was eye-opening because they've never seen something like that before. I mean, some of the comments that I received from people, I think one high school student said, oh, I didn't know we have that many colors in your country. And I didn't really know what to say because I was like, what do you think? Like, do you think it's just black and white, or? After Common People, Common Places, I decided to put up an exhibition at the Theater and Dance Department. And that was my photography of the performing arts, something that would suit the atmosphere of the department. My third exhibition was at the Hamilton Library again, and it was called Zurghaneh. It's an ancient tradition that's in Iran. There are these sports arenas where men to go and work out. But as much as it is about physical appearance and physical endurance, it's also about spirituality and becoming a better person. So really, it's a holistic tradition that encompasses the strengthening of mind, body, and soul together. And I also gave a talk at the East-West Center later that year in regards to that exhibition. Yeah, so you had provided us with this collage of different performances, right? Yes. So including, what is that, the weightlifting... Zurghaneh. Zurghaneh. It translates to house of strength. Oh, okay. Yeah, as well as other, there's, it looks like puppet traditions and children's theater. So the photos that we have up right now is a marionette tradition in Iran that I specialized in. It's this wonderful show that's performed with a three-man show or even sometimes a two-man show. And it can happen all night from sundown to sunup, or it can happen in 10 minutes. It depends on the crowd and how really into it they are, but usually they get really into it. Yeah. Well, you really deal with a great range of theater forms as well as different forms of art. So, yeah, why do you do this? I mean, apart from that it's in itself interesting, but what drives you? Great question. I think understanding, understanding different people and different cultures. Hawaii is really diverse and we have a lot of cultures represented on the island. And I got into theater because I was interested in finding out more about all sorts of cultures, not just my mother tongue, but culture of Hawaii, culture of Pacific islands, culture of America. And that's how I got into it. And the more I saw and the more I studied, I realized that there's so much more. There are so many amazing stories that are yet to be told. And someone needs to do them. I think one of the most memorable performances that I saw was called Kamao. It's a local play. And when I saw it, it moved me. It made me want to do theater. OK. I appreciated it because it was local. It was from Oahu. It was from where my home is. Yet it was of a culture that I had never been so close to until that time. And that got me interested in Hawaiian culture even more. And a few years ago, there was an opportunity at University of Hawaii at Manoa to do a Hawaiian play, Laia Kauai, directed by Tammy Baker. And I did all I could to be in that production. And experiences like this never go away. Experiences of a really deep understanding, because in order to do theater, you have to understand someone else's perspective. You have to understand someone else's worldview, their lifestyle, their language, their manners. So it's not something that you can do on the surface. You have to dig a lot deeper. And the deeper you go, the more you realize that humanity is the same. So on the surface, it's Chinese opera. It's Iranian marionettes. It's Hawaiian. It's hula. It's Indonesian shadow puppetry. But really, at the core, they're all speaking the same language. It's humanity. We're all the same. And that's what drives me. That's why I do what I do. Great. And so what about some of your future projects and plans? Do you have anything in the works? Crossing my fingers. I have submitted a play to an international festival in Iran later in December. And if it gets picked, I would be going to South Carolina to perform with my friend, rehearse and perform the show. And then from there, we'll take it to Iran. And what I would like to do is offer what we know of theater here to students and professionals that are there. Because when I go there, they open their doors. They open their homes. They open their libraries and their reference books and everything that they have, just so they can show me that I'm welcomed. And I think that's how they would receive anyone else who is interested in their craft, in their knowledge, in their culture. So I would like to establish more connections like this, because if us artists don't do it, I don't think politicians would, with the way things are going now. And it's not really the job of news anchors or newspapers to do this. They do something else. They report bad news. But people like me, and there are a lot of them, have to make these bridges so people can see that we're not so different, that there are good things out there in the world, anywhere in the world. Yeah. And I would agree with you about Iranians being very welcoming and just very willing and very happy to share and exchange. Because I've been to Iran too a couple of times, and it's not just people from Iranian background, but they were incredibly welcoming. So I hope these projects really get underway. Do you feel like we're doing enough? Is the environment good for doing more and more of that? Oh, definitely, definitely. I mean, who doesn't like to be entertained? That's true. I mean, people who study theater would always like to learn more about theater. People who do photography would always love to see new work, new exciting work, beautiful things. And I think Iran is a country that has been distant from the US for a while. But we have to keep in mind that in a very recent history, it was United States' most loyal ally in the region and maybe in all the world. And we're not talking centuries ago, we're just talking like 40, 50 years ago. And if you live here in the States and you travel to Iran and spend time with people, you'll notice similarities that you will either like or not like, but you can't deny that there are similarities. I mean, both countries have this really kick-bomb nationalistic pride that they hold on to so dearly. And they both have this idea of the importance of the individual in the society. And it might play a little differently on the surface, but deep down inside, there is so much alike. And I think this sort of like what's going on in the news with the politics is two brothers bickering about the same issue. Yeah, it's just politics, right? But I think beneath the surface of politics, there's still hopefully we can maintain the human connections and also revive some of them that might have been lost. Yes. So just wrapping up, yeah, any last thoughts you want to leave us with this idea of bridging cultures and through the arts? If there's anyone out there who'd like to help me, contact me, because I will do anything to make this happen. OK, how can we reach you? Through my email, my first name, m-a-s-e-e-h, g-a-t-gmail.com. It's the best way to reach me. OK, that's wonderful. Yeah, congratulations on all these great projects you're working on. Thank you. You seem to be really busy, and I hope you stay busy. Thank you. Because we can use more of that kind of artistic and cultural exchange to better understand each other around the world. Thanks for having me on the show. OK, thank you so much, Masi. All right.