About Azar
I direct socially charged plays where the political and personal collide. Giving voice to those the world chooses to ignore.
I gravitate towards stories that are grounded in relationships. Towards characters searching for connection inside painful circumstances. Towards work with a healthy balance of humor and heartache.
I strive to create spaces where authenticity and belonging matter. Where vulnerability between the performer and the witness is essential. Crafting intimate moments that expose our wounds, as well as moments of celebration and collective joy.
My work is rooted in emotionally potent performances, precision of pace, and sharp visual articulation. I am committed to feeling over spectacle, to leading with cultural empathy, and to cultivating care for artists and audiences alike.
For me, theatre is the revolutionary act of experiencing the full breadth of our humanity in communal spaces that invite transformation and magic into our lives.
Bio
Azar Kazemi is first-generation Iranian American, and a freelance director and educator based in Chicago. For the 25/26 season she directed the Chicago premiere of Sanaz Toossi’s play Wish You Were Here at Remy Bumppo, and most recently directed Toossi’s Pulitzer Prize winning play English at Indiana Repertory Theatre.
Azar is an Equity Jeff-nominated director for her work on Rivendell Theatre Ensemble’s world premiere of Motherhouse by Tuckie White, which won three Equity Jeff Awards including Best Ensemble-Play. During the 24/25 season, she directed a sold-out run of Sam Shepard’s A Lie of the Mind at Raven Theatre. As well as Steep Theatre’s world premiere of Happy Days Are Here (Again) by Omer Abbas Salem at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre, which was named one of the top ten shows of 2024 by the Chicago Tribune.
Azar received her MFA from The Theatre School at DePaul University, where she is also on faculty and received the 2021 Excellence in Teaching Award. Before moving to Chicago she assistant directed three Off-Broadway productions with The New Group, two under the direction of her mentor Ethan Hawke.
Azar is a proud union member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.