Nader Bayat, A Casio Remembered

"Othello" by The Anahita Theatre Group at Taj Cinema, February 1962

Last night’s reading of “The Night’s Last Ride” by Mohsen Yalfani at Stanford University (Iranian Studies Program) was a very special and memorable event in its intimate, yet creditable setup. Organized by the infatigable Dr. Milani, whose efforts to sustain and promote Iranian culture are the driving force behind all such series, the event started with an introduction and heart-felt acknowledgement of Mr. Yalfani’s work who is visiting from Paris, France, and Mr. Nasser Rahmani Nejad who directed the play-reading. The session concluded with a Q&A session with both playwright and director.

My father’s eternal support is undoubtedly always with me. However, as I looked around the room last night, I realized that most of the theatre and film veterans present were from his generation, had met him personally and or remembered him as an actor through and through. Kamran Nozad, one of the pioneers of Iranian theatre, reminisced about my father at the start of the event in a side conversation with me. “I remember him really well”, he said. “His whole life, whole existence, was theatre.” Very true. His whole being, raison d’être, was summed up in theatrical anecdotes, stories of filmmaking and, as a film connoisseur,  an unparalleled walking encyclopedia of actors’ names, biographies, filmmakers’ filmography and so on. It was the air he breathed, the water he drank.

Mr. Yalfani’s remark about his memorable performance as Casio in Shakespeare’s Othello inspired me to dedicate this long-overdue page to him; to revive his name, remember him and celebrate an actor whose passion and love for the craft of theatre and film never ceased to be. Above all, thank you for passing on the torch to me. It’s a constant reminder of why it matters that I not give up for any reason.     

Favorite anecdote: Nader and Nasser (Rahmani Nejad), both founding company members of the Stanislavsky-based Anahita School of Acting are walking down a street the day after one of their repertory plays was broadcast live on national TV in 1960s Tehran. People start noticing the two young actors. Nader proudly elbows Nasser in the ribs and whispers: “Nasser, they recognized us! They recognized us!” ("Be ja avordan!")

May you rest in peace now and always.