Tehran – The play “The Shadows of Actors” will take the stage at Moravi Hall in Tehran on Friday, featuring talented actors with autism and other special needs.
Written and directed by Amir Farzam Dehnavi and produced by Sajad Afsharian, this innovative production aims to showcase the abilities of talented individuals with diverse abilities in the theatrical stage, the IRNA reported Wednesday.
The production explores therapeutic approaches such as theatrical therapy, music therapy, and art therapy, and features a group of talented artists with autism, Down syndrome and other special abilities, the report added.
The main cast members include Karl Gustav John, Abdreza Bakeli and Mohammad Kalakanrurow, William Shakespeare and Hanifef Ahmadi as the shadows, while Amir Ali Mohammadi will take on the role of Hamlet.
Inspired by Shadow Theory, which utilizes Karl Gustav John’s acting skills in psychoanalysis and methods, the play offers a deep, human, and inner experience in the face of darkness and light expressed through humor and art.
The well-known Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Carl Gustav John introduced the concept of shadows as a fundamental element of his analytical psychology.
The shadow represents the unconscious part of a personality that includes the oppressed, denied or repressed aspects of oneself. These characteristics often include impulses, desires, feelings, or actions that individuals consider to be unacceptable or incompatible with their conscious self-image.
Jung believed that shadows are formed through social conditioning, personal experience, and moral standards that led an individual to reject certain parts of his personality. Shadows can embrace negative qualities such as anger, greed, and jealousy, but covers positive qualities that are simply hidden or unapproved, such as creativity and spontaneity.
Integrating shadows is essential to achieving Jung’s psychological wholeness, known as “individualization.” This involves recognizing and accepting these hidden aspects rather than restraining them. This means that an individual attributes his or her unnecessary traits to others.
Recognizing and confronting the shadows allows for personal growth, reliability and self-awareness. It encourages individuals to accept themselves, including less desirable parts, leading to a more balanced and integrated personality. Jung’s theory of shadow remains influential today, emphasizing the importance of self-examination, embracing the whole existence to gain psychological harmony and deeper understanding of oneself.
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