About Azar
I direct socially-charged plays where the political and personal collide.
I gravitate towards painful stories that are grounded in relationships, loss, and the longing for connection. At times brutal in circumstance but always anchored in love.
I strive to create spaces where authenticity and belonging matter. Where vulnerability between the performer and the witness is essential. Crafting courageous moments that expose our deepest wounds.
My work is rooted in emotionally potent performances, precision of pace, and sharp visual articulation. I am interested in feeling more than spectacle, people more than institutions, and process more than product.
For me, theatre is the radical and magical act of experiencing our collective humanity.
Bio
Azar Kazemi (she/her) is first-generation Persian American and a freelance director and educator based in Chicago. She is an Equity Jeff-nominated director for her work on Rivendell Theatre Ensemble’s world premiere of Motherhouse by Tuckie White. Most recently, Azar directed a sold-out run of Sam Shepard’s A Lie of the Mind at Raven Theatre and 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 member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
Up next, Azar is directing the Chicago premiere of Wish You Were Here by Sanaz Toossi at Remy Bumppo.