Our team

Arvand Dashtaray

FOUNDER & DIRECTOR & DESIGNER
Arvand Dashtaray is an ambitious and influential theater maker of his generation, making waves in the art world from a young age. At 19, he founded Virgule, a production company that he has produced, directed and designed more than 30 performances to date. He is known for his diverse direction and experimental approach to theater, which has earned him international acclaim. With a vision of bridging cultural gaps through collaborative projects, Dashtaray influenced and led Iran’s independent theater movement. In 2018 he was International Director of Fajr International Theater Festival, where he created an extensive international program and implemented his signature. He designed and built Hafez Hall in Tehran, the first theatre to open since the revolution in 1979. His immense contribution to Iranian theater culture has cemented Arvand Dashtaray as one of the most important directors of his time ̒ in Iran and beyond.

Marene van Holk

CREATIVE PRODUCER & DIRECTOR & ACTRESS
Marene van Holk trained as an actress in London at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and LAMDA and worked there as an actress in theatre and TV (e.g. BBC Silent Witness). In 2012 set up her own theatre company Meet Alice with which she created site-specific interactive theatre in London. In 2014 she moved to Tehran to join Virgule as creative producer, director and actor. Inspired by the fertile breeding ground of the theatre scene in Iran, she quickly built up a name for herself acting and directing in Farsi in Tehran. For Virgule she directed “Green Screen” a promenade, site-specific piece as a response to the heavily reported European ‘Refugee Crisis’ of 2015/16. As a creative producer she set up research project “Reconsider your image of me”. As an actress she was nominated for a best actress award at the Fajr festival in 2016 for her portrayal of Sana “From the Basement to the Roof”; she has starred in Iranian cinema such as “The 9th Symphony”; “The Absent Director” and the series “Gheble-Alam”. In the Netherlands she has worked as a creative producer with ROSE stories since 2023, setting up The Verhalenhuis. She has written and directed “Nieuwe Arnhemse Meisjes Take Over Gemeentehuis” for Bureau Ruimtekoers. She also co-writes and directs the theatre series “Onze Man” with Thomas Erdbrink.

Naghmeh Samini

WRITER
Naghmeh Samini (PhD), playwright, scriptwriter and lecturer in Dramatic Arts, was born in Iran and received her BA in Drama and MA in Cinema from the University of Tehran. She did her PhD in Art Studies at the University of Tarbiat Modarres in Tehran with a thesis focused on Drama and Mythology. More than twenty of her plays have been staged in Iran, France, India, Canada, the United States and other countries. These include Sleeping in an Empty Cup, Sky Horses Rain Ashes, Making Faces and The Home. Her screenplays, including Main Line and Heiran and 3 women won awards. In 2007 critics selected her as one of the five top playwrights in Iran. Her plays are experimental in structure and handle a variety of topical subjects at personal and sociopolitical levels. Inspired by One Thousand and One Night, she uses magic realism and non-linear narratives in her plays. One of her recent plays entitled The King and the Mathematician: A Legend (2012) was selected by UNESCO as one of the cultural achievements of the year.Naghmeh’s journey with Virgule started from the Audition project in 2015, since then she bacame one of the key members of Virgule’s projects and we made one feature and 4 shows together.

Cecile Brommer

DRAMATURG
Cecile Brommer studied Theater Studies at the University of Amsterdam and has been supporting directors of (music) theater performances and television series since 1997 with research, conception and implementation of their ideas. She also regularly gives introductions to performances. She works for Operadagen Rotterdam, ROSE stories, Skyhigh TV, Via Berlin and Theatergroep MATZER, among others. Cecile is also affiliated with the Bachelor and Master Music Theater at ArtEZ.She has worked with VirguleFPAC, as a dramaturge since 2015 till now.

Kazem Sayahi

ACTRESS
Kazem Sayahi is one of Virgule’s main actors and a long-time artistic companion of the company. His journey with us spans productions such as Tintin, Improvisation, Pink Panther, Blue Beard, Audition, and the Atisaz short films, where his presence has always left a unique mark. Kazem’s acting is distinguished by its depth and precision: he moves effortlessly between humor and intensity, combining sharp instinct with a rare emotional honesty on stage. Both playful and meticulous, he has the ability to make each role vibrantly alive while remaining true to himself. Beyond his talent, Kazem is a trusted collaborator whose generosity and passion for the craft make him an essential part of Virgule’s artistic family. He now continues this path as one of the leading actors in our upcoming production of The Belgian Fish.

Hossein Akbari

FILM PRODUCER
Executive Manager And Production Manager Hossein Akbari (1978), studied scriptwriting and since 2004, developed his career in Iranian cinema as a Production Manager. He was Executive Manager of The Labyrinth and TV series The Twilight. His first movie as Producer was Virgule’s The Absent Director (2021). Since then he has been head of Film Production for Virgule Film and Performing Arts Company.

Mahta Karimi

PRODUCTION
Mahta Karimi was born in 1981,Tehran. Graduated in cultural management (BA). She started her activity as public relations since 1387 in public and private organizations and theater groups and has been working with Virgule since 2020 as Virgule’s executive manager.

Vasilis Apostolatos

PRODUCTION
November 2009 - 2023 Working as a light and set designer for several theatres, location theatre, cultural venues and festivals in the Netherlands and abroad .Some of my work can be found at vasapo.com . Since 2013 I teach conceptual lighting design in the Toneelacademie Maastricht .and as from 2019 I teachTechnical Theater and Stage Design at the American School of the Hague (ASH).

Amin Yazdani Nejad

PROJECT MANAGER
Amin Yazdaninejad, a graduate of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), started his career at theater in 2005, and since 2009, he has been working with Virgule, as an assistant director and production manager.

Kiarash Mosayebi

PHOTOGRAPHER
Kiarash Mosayebi (born on April 2, 1990 in Tehran) is an Iranian artist, theater photographer, and member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Theater Photographers of Iran. Kiarash, is a graduate of Master's degree in Art Research from the University of Art and Architecture of Azad University. In his artistic career, he has won many awards in the photo section of domestic and foreign festivals, such as the best photographer award of the 38th Fajr International Theater Festival, as well winner of the best photography of the International University Theater Festival , and...
Kiarash works with Virgule since 2015.

Ali Kianian

COMPOSER
Ali Kianian a multi instrumentalist, sound engineer, and Composer; Ali graduated from the Music Industry program at USC (University of Southern California) in 2013. Ever since returing to Iran, he has worked as a composer, audio engineer, and sound consultant in the theatre industry, working on numerous projects with the likes of Atila Pesyani, Reza Kianian, Jalal Tehrani, Atefe Tehrani, and of course Arvand Dashtaray. Ali also pursues a solo career as an independent electronic musician.

Setareh Nafisi

COMPOSER
Since 2024, Setareh has been our sonic collaborator at Virgule. She helped shape The Pool as both composer and curator—inviting artists and remarkable musicians from many places and turning those nights into a powerful space of connection, creativity, and community for Virgule. Her first major work with us as composer was Belgian Fish (Tehran, 2025), and she is now creating and performing the music for Theater Laundering (The Hague, 2026). Shaped by lived experience and deep sonic intuition, her work carries freshness, emotional depth, and openness to new artistic possibilities. Setareh Nafisi is an Amsterdam-based composer, performer, and researcher whose practice explores shared human essence through sound, body, and space. Blending electro-acoustic and experimental techniques, her music moves with poetic sensitivity across themes of grief, transformation, and collective dreaming. She creates for opera, theatre, dance, installation, and film, with work presented at major festivals and institutions. Born in Tehran, she now teaches and pursues a Professional Doctorate at the Prins Claus Conservatorium.

Sanaz Bagheri

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
SANAZ BAGHERI Theatre Manager And Actress (2012 – Present) EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND MFA in Production Management (2023_ present) Boston University, Collage of Fine Arts, Massachusetts, The USA. MA in Theater Acting (2020 – 2023) Tehran University of Art, Tehran, Iran. BA in Theater Acting & Directing ( 2009 – 2014) University of Tehran, College of Fine Arts, Tehran, Iran.

Romina Davachi

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR & ACTRESS
Romina Davachi (1994) is and Assistant Director, Actress and Musician. She has a bachelor's degree in Business Management from Shahid Beheshti University and a bachelor's degree in Music from Farhang and Art University in Tehran. She started her career with Virgule FPAC in 2013 working as an assistant director on “Green Screen”, “Reconsider Your Image of Me”, “The Gardener of Death”, “Let’s keep It Between Us” and “The Improvisation”. She worked as an actress on “Door to Door” gallery performance and feature film “The Absent Director”. She worked on the first Theatre Producers Training Programme in Iran in 2018.

Diba Khatami

ACTRESS
Diba khatami is an Iranian actress who was born in 1992 in Tehran. She graduated in theater from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Tehran. She started her career by joining Virgule Company in 2013. "The Improvisation", "Absent Director", "Reconsider your image of me", "Cromaki" and "Keep it between us" are the projects of Virgule Company that she participated in as an actress.

Peyman shadmanfar

CINEMATOGRAPHER
Peyman Shadmanfar has collaborated as a DoP with many of the greatest Iranian directors in film and TV, including Oscar and Cannes award-winner Asghar Farhadi. Shadmanfar shot all of Dashtaray’s film productions to date, including Atisaz 1 & 2 and The Absent Director.

Alireza Alavian

SOUND DESIGNER
Alireza was born in Tehran on December 12, 1979. He began his career in cinema in 2001 as a sound assistant. Since 2003, he has been the sound mixer of "Salade Fasl" a program directed by Fereydoun Jeyrani. He has also worked with many other well-known Iranian directors. He has received numerous awards including the first International Sound Prize in Iranian cinema for sound design and sound editing of the short film "An Sooy e Bonbast (2012)" at the Best Shorts Competition - California Film Festival. He has been the sound designer of all Virgule Film projects.

Vahid Ghotbizadeh

POST PRODUCTION & CG DESIGN
Vahid Ghotbizadeh is an award winning Post Production Supervisor and Visual Effects Supervisor (VFX). He has worked with numerous directors in Iran. For ‘Crazy Castle’ he won a Simorgh at Fajr film festival in 2015 and the 2016 CINÉFONDATION Selection for "Aram". Ghotbizadeh worked on Virgule productions: The Absent Director and Atisaz.

Behrad Javanbakht

GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Behrad Javanbakht is a passionate, talented graphic designer and dedicated teacher. After graduating from Azad University’s Faculty of Art and Architecture, he began teaching graphics in universities and "Vijeh school" in 2006. His impressive professional portfolio showcases his vivacious creativity and skill – ranging from stage design for the "Khandwane" television program to artistic management for numerous companies and publications. Additionally, Behrad has collaborated with esteemed clients such as “Fajr International Theater Festival”, “Children's Intellectual Development Center”, “Cultural and Artistic Organization of Tehran Municipality”, “Hamshahri Publications”, and “Chelcheragh Weekly". He has been part of the Virgule team since 2012. As a member of the Graphic Designers Association of Iran, Behrad continues to express his artistry through each individual project he embarks on.

Reza Eslampanah

COPYWRITER & MARKETING ADVISOR
Reza Eslampanah was born in 1975, and was graduated with a degree of bachelor of geology from Azad university. He started his experience in advertising in 2000, and has been a professional copywriter since 2008. Currently he works as brand Communication consultant and creative director for Farbod Company. Reza has been working with virgule as marketing advisor and copywriter since 2017 he was involved in tin tin, gardener of death, let’s keep it between us and the father advertising campaign and designed the slogans of these project. Reza also is a member of our marketing ideas to develop culture & arts for the society. Reza has been working with Virgule as marketing advisor and copywriter since 2017 he was involved in Tin Tin, Gardener of Death, Let’s keep it between us and The Father advertising campaign, designing the slogans of these project. Reza also is a member of our marketing team to develop the relationship between culture & arts and society.

Mohammad zahedi

TECHNICAL DESIGNER
Mohammad Zahedi (1982) holds a PhD in Philosophy and an MA in Industrial Design. He works an interior designer and technical designer. Specialising in the design and construction of optical sculptures in IVAR Co and road barriers with polymer based composites. As a writer he has published 3 books and 5 articles on philosophical and artistic topics. Mohammad has been working with Virgule since 2010 as technical designer and design advisor.

Sanaz Afshin

RESEARCHER
Sanaz Afshin is a researcher in theatre and performance studies. Born in Iran, she holds a BA in Performing Arts and Performance, as well as an MA in Theatre Studies from La Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. She is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, focusing on applied theatre practices with migrants. Her research explores the opportunities, challenges, and limitations of these practices in both their processes and productions. Positioned at the intersection of applied theatre, migration studies, and political theatre, her work reflects on how theatre can engage with issues related to migration. Her collaboration with Dashtaray and Van Holk began through her role as a researcher affiliated with Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in a participatory storytelling project with migrants in 2022. Through this experience, she developed a research interest in the dramaturgical structure, methodology, and creative processes of the two performances created during the project, Het Verhalenhuis and Find the Actor, which she later incorporated into her doctoral research. This led to her continued collaboration with the team on subsequent productions.

Hamidreza Amanpour Gharaei

Virgule Translator
Hamidreza Amanpour Gharaei is a poet, translator, and literary researcher whose collaboration with Virgule has become an essential part of our artistic work. His journey with us began with the Persian translation of Florian Zeller’s The Father and continued with Léonore Confino’s Belgian Fish, shaping the linguistic and dramaturgical foundation of our productions. Born in Iran in 1978, Hamidreza has become a distinctive voice in introducing contemporary French dramatic literature and theatre theory to Persian audiences. His translations include key works by Thomas Ostermeier & George Banu, Richard Nelson & Ariane Mnouchkine, Léonore Confino, Florian Zeller, and Isabelle Le Nouvel. With precision, emotional intelligence, and literary depth, he brings some of today’s most important French theatrical texts into a new cultural and linguistic space, enriching the artistic landscape and strengthening Virgule’s international collaborations.

The Board of Stichting Virgule

Thomas Erbrink

BOARDMEMBER (chairman)

Thomas Erdbrink is an award-winning Dutch journalist, documentary maker, and international correspondent. He spent more than two decades reporting from the Middle East, including over a decade as the Tehran bureau chief for The New York Times, where he became one of the few Western journalists with long-term access to Iran. He is widely known for the acclaimed documentary series Onze Man in Teheran (Our Man in Tehran), which received the prestigious Zilveren Nipkowschijf, and for his nuanced reporting on international politics, culture, and society. Fluent in Dutch, English, Persian, and German, Thomas brings a unique cross-cultural perspective to his work. As a board member of Virgule FPAC in the Netherlands, he contributes his extensive international experience, journalistic insight, and commitment to dialogue across cultures.

Mollynn Mugisha

BOARDMEMBER (treasurer)

Dr. Mollynn Mugisha-Otim is an entrepreneur, community leader, and educator based in The Hague. Born and raised in Uganda, she is the founder of the Africa Cultural Promotion Center (ACPC), an organization dedicated to promoting African culture, strengthening intercultural dialogue, and supporting international communities in the Netherlands. With a background in medicine, early years education, and community development, she has extensive experience designing educational programmes, leading social initiatives, and building inclusive networks. As Treasurer of Virgule FPAC, Mollynn contributes her expertise in organizational management, financial oversight, and community engagement, helping strengthen the foundation's sustainable growth and international outlook.

Ellis van Maarseveen

BOARDMEMBER (secretary)

Ellis van Maarseveen is a Dutch actress, theatre director, educator, and voice-over artist with an international career spanning theatre, film, and television. A graduate of the Toneelacademie Maastricht, she has performed extensively in both the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, appearing in productions including Escape from Sobibor, Inspector Morse, and Ruth Rendell Mysteries. She is the founder and artistic director of the TUSK International Theatre Company in The Hague, where she has developed and directed internationally oriented English-language theatre productions. Alongside her work as a performer and director, Ellis is an experienced theatre educator and coach with a strong commitment to intercultural collaboration and artistic development. As Secretary of Virgule FPAC, she brings decades of international theatre experience, organizational expertise, and a deep commitment to fostering meaningful artistic exchange.

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NETHERLANDS OFFICE:
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Email

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