The reality of women in Iran, literally shrouded in myth and mystery for those outside its borders, is explored in “The Poets and the Assassin,” a play by Reza Jalali, which will be live onstage at The Lincoln Theater in Damariscotta for one performance only, on Monday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m. The play, which was originally produced in 2015 at Bates College, directed by Kati Vecsey, has also been performed at the Pace Gallery in Portland.

Americans in general are not well-informed about the people and history of Iran, a huge presence in West Asia, which is not Arab, not Turkic, not South Asian, not European. “The Poets and the Assassin” challenges our assumptions about women in Iran, among the most educated and progressive in the Middle East, who have been struggling for equality for 100 years, or more. Modest progress had been made, then significant setbacks during the reign of the Shah, culminating in the 1979 Revolution which brought fundamentalists to power, resulting in the imposition of laws and customs that severely restricted the rights and autonomy of women in Iran. Their continuing search for identity in their society speaks to their refusal to conform to subjugation in the name of tradition, culture, and religion. Tellingly, depression in Iranian women was ranked first among diseases in 2011.

“The Poets and the Assassin” explores the polarities of women’s roles and voices in public and private spheres. In modern Iran, through literature, poetry, film, and politics, women continue to voice their grievances and demand change. The play’s author, Reza Jalali, a writer, educator and Muslim scholar who has taught at the University of Southern Maine and Bangor Theological Seminary, calls himself a feminist and says, of his inspiration for writing the play, “I was raised by strong women in my family. I have watched them, and other women in Iran, overcoming barriers and fighting outdated cultural and religious practices, and tyranny of different regimes in power --all men.”

The play has not been published or performed in Iran, but has been received positively by numerous Iranian expats and Iranian-Americans, who have seen it produced here in Maine, with the exception of a small number of religious Muslims, who objected to the way that religious women were depicted, according to Jalali.

Young Iranian-American women are among the performers in the play. Two or three from the original staging at Bates College are returning in the upcoming production at the Lincoln Theater, as is the director, Kati Vecsey.

The political picture has changed somewhat for women in Iran, since he wrote the play, reports Jalali. “Women in Iran continue to make progress and have a meaningful presence in the public space, be it social, cultural, or political,” he says. “For example, during the most recent election, which saw the election of reformers, many more women got elected to the national parliament. In recent years, more Iranian women are producing and directing films that are popular both inside Iran as well as outside of the country.”

Tickets, $7/adult, $5/theater members, can be obtained by calling the theater office at (207) 563-3424. They can be purchased in advance at the theater office from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, or one hour prior to the production. Youth 18 and under are admitted free.

Additional information can be found at www.lcct.org. The Lincoln Theater is located at 2 Theater Street in downtown Damariscotta.