Persepolis Coming Of Age Analysis

Persepolis is a coming of age graphic novel written and illustrated by Marjane Satrapi. The novel ( also adapted into a film in 2007) depicts her childhood up to her early adult years in Iran during and after the Islamic revolution. The story is timeless and captures the roller coaster of emotions of the human experience. It would translate beautifully to the stage. Even though I think about producing a show with a young audience in mind, this is a story for everyone. The narrative creates an experience for young person to see the world outside of themselves, which is an urgency in this current state we live in. Their is no better way to hook young people into the Iranian experience than seeing the revolution through the eyes of a nine-year-old girl. It’s impossible not to fall in love with her character and connect with her. She’s no different than any child. She fights with her parents, she gets scared, she falls in love, she rebels, she smokes, and she loves punk rock. She struggles to find herself, while she comes to
These images are simple and powerful, making the unthinkable accessible.There is more power to the story by what isn’t on the page. The reader can process there are horrific acts going on without having to see it frame by frame just as you don’t need to show everything in a theatre piece to get an audience to understand what’s going on.

Creating the feel of the graphic novel on stage is as important to the story as developing the text itself. The set and lighting designer must work in partnership with the director for the development of the show. Additionally, there is opportunity for shadow puppetry in the piece, which also lends to the aesthetic of Satrapi’s illustrations and honors Iranian culture. There are war scenes, bombings, protest that can easily done with shadow puppets and can also create more texture on the