Jalal Tehrani (born 3 August 1968) is an Iranian playwright, theatre director, and educator. He is known for experimental works that emphasize theatrical form and structure. According to the International Journal of Middle East Studies, he has contributed to the development of IranâÂÂs independent theatre through his institute Maktab Tehran.
Tehrani was born in Tehran in August 1968. Before pursuing theatre, he studied electronics and worked in product design. He later earned a masterâÂÂs degree in Dramatic Literature.
Tehrani began as a theatre critic in the late 1990s before publishing his first play, The Boatman, in 1998. His directorial debut was Nefertiti (2002), staged at the City Theater of Tehran. He subsequently directed The Tank (2002) and Single Cells (2003). The Tank was later revived at Maktab Tehran, an event covered by the *Financial Tribune*.
In 2010, Tehrani founded Maktab Tehran, an institute that includes a theatre hall, rehearsal studios, a publishing unit, and training programs. Scholars note that such private institutions reflect broader changes in IranâÂÂs theatre landscape.
His later productions include Cinderella, Kite Hunting Season, Around the World in Eighty Days, and Silver. In 2014, TehraniâÂÂs adaptation of Cinderella was staged in Tehran, reported by *The Iran Project*. The play has also been subject to academic analysis in Iran.
TehraniâÂÂs works are characterized by an emphasis on form and structure rather than explicit themes. His scripts often use stylized language that critics describe as poetic and unconventional. The international journal *Critical Stages* highlights his strategies for addressing censorship in Iranian theatre.
Single Cells was staged at the Silk Road Festival in Ruhr and later presented at Iran Cultural Week in Berlin. The play was later published in French under the title Les unicellulaires.