Persian Arts Festival Set For 92YTribeca 3.26

92YTribeca helps mark the 5th Annual Persian Arts Festival with a Norooz extravaganza of music, film, theater, poetry and visual art. "Norooz," literally translated as "New Day" in Farsi, is a holiday celebrated around the Spring Equinox, and not only marks the rejuvenation of the earth, but also allows people to gather and share in their unique traditions.

Sat, Mar 26, 7 pm, $22 adv / $25 door; combo with music $30 adv / $35 door
Stage Reading | "OUR SWEET LIFE BY THE PACIFIC OCEAN"
From the acclaimed writer, producer and actor Houshang Touzie comes the hilarious story about an Iranian man struggling to provide for his family, revive the passion in his marriage and communicate with a rebellious son raised far from what once was home. Join us at 92YTribeca for this concert-style reading starring the Emmy Award-winning actress Shohreh Aghdashloo and Touzie himself. Directed by Shidan Majidi and produced by Noor Theatre and Persian Arts Festival.

Sat, Mar 26, 9:30 pm, $12 adv / $15 door; combo with reading $30 adv / $35 door
Music + Film | RICHARD JEFFREY NEWMAN / AMIR VAHAB / LIKE A PHOENIX FROM THE ASHES / DJ PAYAM
Richard Jeffrey Newman kicks off the night in reading from The Teller of Tales, his newly published translation of the first five kings' stories in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh. Then Persian folk and Sufi singer Amir Vahab, hailed by The New York Times as the "ambassador for a silenced music," performs songs of the Ancient land of the Middle East. Rounding out the night will be a screening of Like A Phoenix From The Ashes, a psychedelic film and music montage of ultra-rare footage from '60s/'70s Iran culled and curated from hundreds of hours and endless stacks of VHS and film from the pre-revolution glory years. This year's visual art exhibition, curated by PAF Art Director, Pooneh Maghazehe, showcases the Seven S's with various interpretations of the Persian New Year symbols by several NYC-based artists. Musical ambiance will also be provided by DJ Payam throughout the evening, spinning rare grooves from around the globe.

About the Persian Arts Festival
Founded in 2005, the Persian Arts Festival (PAF) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to showcasing the magnificence and diversity of Persian art and culture through its voices, artists and visionaries. PAF brings local and global communities together to support these artists and explore one of the worlds most ancient and rich civilizations. The festival gives audiences of all ages and traditions the chance to discover new Persian voices and celebrate established ones. Areas represented at previous events have included fine art, music, film, comedy, family activities and literary. The Persian Arts Festival is a sponsored project of the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA). NYFA is a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt organization founded in 1971 to work with the arts community throughout New York State to develop and facilitate programs in all disciplines. Additional festival sponsors and partners include AIIrS - American Institute of Iranian Studies, PAAIA Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, New York University Persian Club, Columbia Iranian Students Association, IAAB Iranian Alliances Across Borders. For more info, go to www.persianartsfestival.org

About 92YTribeca
92YTribeca is 92nd Street Y's downtown arts and culture venue in New York City. Opened in October 2008, 92YTribeca presents music, comedy, film, theater, talks, classes, family events, and Jewish community and holiday programs in a versatile, street-level, modern space at 200 Hudson Street. In addition to the mainstage and screening room, the venue houses an art gallery, lounge, bar, café, seminar and meeting rooms, and free Wi-Fi around the space. With programs developed by a professional curatorial team in partnership with staff, local artists and arts organizations, new-media companies, fellow presenters, and community and cause-based organizations, 92YTribeca aims to engage a diverse community of young people from around the New York area with smart, relevant programming that encourages participation and conversation. For more information, visit www.92YTribeca.org.

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