Photo Flash: In Rehearsal for DEATH OF THE PERSIAN PRINCE at MITF

DMoss Productions, in association with The Midtown International Theatre Festival, will present the world premiere of DEATH OF THE PERSIAN PRINCE, a new play that dramatizes the real-life story of thousands of gay Iranians who have changed genders to avoid execution by the Iranian government. Written and directed by Dewey Moss (The Crusade of Connor Stephens, A Normal Life), DEATH OF THEPERSIAN PRINCE is a haunting tale about the power of the human spirit. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the cast in rehearsal below!

Samantha is an Iranian woman living in New York. James is a veteran of the Iraq war. Late one night, in the middle of a heated argument, James leaves and Samantha finds herself alone. Suddenly, there''s a knock at the door. Someone from Samantha''s homeland has arrived unexpectedly. Fueled by a barrage of threats that unearth shattering confessions of unimaginable terror, the story of James, Samantha and the stranger takes an unexpected turn, leading to a stunning ending that proves nothing is as it seems.

"Sexual reassignment surgery is legal in Iran; however, homosexuality is forbidden and in most cases for males, punishable by death," according to a 2014 report by the BBC. "There is no reliable information on the number of gender reassignment operations carried out in Iran. But one doctor from an Iranian hospital told the BBC that he alone carries out more than 200 such operations every year."

The cast of DEATH OF THE PERSIAN PRINCE will feature Iranian-American actress Pooya Mohseni as Samantha. Mohseni has previously been seen in "Madam Secretary" (CBS), "Brutal Colors" (Amazon Studios), A Touch of Forever (FringeNYC), Copse (Winter Madness Festival) and Shooting Starr (Manhattan Repertory Theatre). The cast will also feature George Faya ("Sesame Street", "Mysteries of the Museum") and Gopal Divan (Around the World in 80 Days, Guys Reading Poems).

DEATH OF THE PERSIAN PRINCE will be presented in a limited engagement at The Davenport Theater. Performances will be held on Thursday, July 23rd at 8pm; Saturday, July 25th at 5:30pm; and Sunday, July 26th at 1pm. Tickets ($20) are available by visiting www.midtownfestival.org or OvationTix. Group rates are also available. The Davenport Theater's Black Box Theater is located at 354 West 45th Street. For more about the show, go to www.DeathofthePersianPrince.com.

Photos courtesy John Capo Public Relations