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THE
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A Dress for Mona | |
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Book Reviews When "A Dress for Mona" was published, it was reviewed by several review journals. What follows are the full reviews from these journals.
VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) rates "A Dress for Mona" as follows in its June 2003 issue: 5Q = (Hard to imagine it being better written) 4P = (Broad General Appeal) J,S= (Appropriate for Junior & Senior High Ages)
"In 1983, ten women were executed by hanging in Shiraz, Iran, for their Bahá'í beliefs, sacrilege in a country whose leaders were Islamic fundamentalists. This play is the true story of sixteen-year-old Mona Mahmudnizhad, the youngest of the women. It begins with a dream. Mona is asked to choose between three dresses representing different ways of serving her faith. Of martyrdom, suffering, or service, she chooses service. The following scenes show Mona to be a typical teen, close to her parents. On the day her father tells her that she has been appointed to teach Bahá’í classes to young children, she believes that she has found her service. When authorities come to arrest her family for their religion, Mona refuses to flee. Later, in a particularly powerful prison scene, her teacher from school tries to convince her to renounce her faith and be released. Finally, in a scene combining courtroom interrogation, a vision, and her final moments, Mona realizes that she will serve in death. The play has thirteen roles that can be filled by eight players. The book includes staging advice, a Persian pronunciation guide, historical sources, endnotes, and an introduction by the author explaining how he altered the truth for the sake of drama. This well-constructed, emotional, and moving story is a window into a world usually encountered only in limited perspective on the news. Mona's story will inspire teens to learn more about daily life in Islamic countries, the Bahá'í religion, and how it contrasts with fundamental Islam." – Angela Carstenson
The Midwest Book Review says, "A Dress for Mona is a powerful play by Mark Perry and based upon a true historical account. A Dress for Mona is set in 1982 Iran when the Bahai (an offshoot of Islam and the largest religious minority within Iran) were subjected to brutal prosecution, imprisonment and even murder. Young Mona is a Bahai believer, and thus a primary target for arrest and execution. Her vision of three dresses, each representing a different direction possible for her life, and her difficult choices between faith and sacrifice are vividly presented in this gripping human account, in many ways a modern-day mirror of the fanaticism portrayed in another great classic, "The Crucible." A Dress for Mona is an absorbing, thought-provoking, and at times emotionally wrenching drama which highly recommended for either personal readings or community theater productions." Reviewer's Bookwatch, The Midwest Book Review, Sept 2002
From BELLA ONLINE:
"A Dress for
Mona," a play by Mark Perry, is the story of Mona Mahmudnizhad, the
youngest of 10 women martyred for their faith in 1983. Mona was only 16
years old when she became a prisoner of the new Iranian Islamic
Republic. She had been teaching children's classes for the city of
Shiraz Baha'i community and was considered subversive for doing so.
Before Mona began her journey to martyrdom, she had a prophetic dream.
She dreamt that she was given the choice of three different dresses, a
blue dress that represented service, a black dress that represented
suffering and a red dress for martyrdom. Mona chose the dress of
service, and was subsequently was offered the position as a teacher of
Baha’i children. “I have these times of clarity, of peace-But then there are moments where I forget and I have to call out to God to get me back, to remind me. And it comes, it does. But it’s that place in between Dad, it’s that place in between. That’s the most dangerous place. What if they get me when I’m there? Sometimes they keep us standing so long, I start to sleep standing up. I’m afraid. I’m afraid they’ll come for me when I’m not ready. I’m afraid for Mom. I’m afraid for you. Dad, I don’t know…I don’t know…I’m afraid. I feel like I’m being ripped up by the roots. I just don’t want to mess this up. This is everything.”
– Lisa Schaffer-Harris |
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