TAFF Art Society, in collaboration with VIVA Alliance, presents To Love Or Not To Love, a new original play by Majid Tafreshi, arriving later this month at Vancouver’s The Annex Theatre.
To Love Or Not To Love is an original absurdist play-within-a-half-musical inspired by Nezami Ganjavi’s twelfth-century romantic epic Khosrow and Shirin.
Set inside a contemporary rehearsal room, the production follows a group of actors attempting to stage the ancient love story, only to find that their own relationships, desires, and undetermined histories gradually become entangled with the myth they are performing.
The play reimagines the emotional and philosophical themes of Nezami’s masterpiece through a contemporary theatrical lens. The production explores how one of the greatest love stories in Persian literature continues to resonate across cultures and generations, speaking to questions of belonging, sacrifice, longing, and the search for connection.
As rehearsals unfold, the boundaries between actor and character begin to dissolve. The legendary love triangle of Khosrow, Shirin, and Farhad becomes a contemporary reflection on love, power, identity, migration, cultural representation, and the enduring impact of war.
Blending live music, classical Persian poetry, humour, and absurd theatricality, the production moves fluidly between myth and reality, inviting audiences into a rehearsal where performance becomes a space for questioning both the past and the present.
At a time when genuine human connection feels increasingly fragile, To Love Or Not To Love poses a timeless question: Can love truly save us—or is it simply another beautiful pain we continue to rehearse?
About Khosrow and Shirin
Khosrow and Shirin is a defining work of classical Persian literature. The twelfth century masterpiece tells the story of Khosrow, King of Persia, and Shirin, an Armenian princess whose love endures political conflict, long separation, and personal sacrifice. Their relationship is further complicated by Farhad, a gifted sculptor whose profound devotion to Shirin has become an enduring symbol of selfless love throughout Persian culture.
To Love Or Not To Love
Dates: August 27 to 30, 2026
Venue: The Annex Theatre, 823 Seymour Street, Vancouver
Tickets: Starting at $39.96, available online via Showpass
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