Noor Theatre

He who has ten thousand horses

by nikki massoud

Directed by sivan Battat

Dramaturgy By lizzie stern

Stage Management by Sarah Samonte

Featuring Babak Tafti, Eric Miller, Rachel B. Joyce, and Sophia Lillis

ABOUT THE SHOW

A newly divorced, newly-arrived billionaire is drawn into the tantalizing world of reverse-aging technology by a charismatic younger man. Will he choose to invest in saving the world for the next generation or sacrifice everything in his pursuit of immortality? A science-based thriller inspired by the legend of Zahak e Mardoush, from Ferdowsi's epic 11th century masterpiece "Shahnameh" (The Book of Kings)....

The inspiration behind the inception of the piece, in the playwright’s words: This play is inspired by two events: 1) In the Fall of 2022, I became aware that young Iranians protesting for their basic freedoms were chanting the words,“Khamanei e Zahak, Meekesheemet Zeereh khak” meaning “Khamanei, you Zahak, we will drag you under the dirt.” They were invoking the 11th century story of Zahak, a king who remained in power for centuries by literally feeding on the young. And 2) A particular American billionaire, who I will not name here, gave a podcast interview in which he said the words, “Death is a solvable problem.”

Meet the Team

Nikki massoud

PLAYWRIGHT

NIKKI MASSOUD (she/her) is an Iranian-Canadian-American writer and performer. Her work has been supported by Bard at the Gate, The Lark, The Coop, CUNY, and a City Artist Corps Grant. She holds commissions from Atlantic Theater, The Acting Company, and Noor Theater. Her television work includes roles on “Love Life” (HBO Max), and “Mozart in the Jungle” (Amazon.) Her stage credits include WISH YOU WERE HERE at Playwrights Horizons and OTHELLO at New York Theatre Workshop. Nikki is the Audie Award-winning narrator of over 50 audiobooks, available on Audible. Education: Brown University/Trinity Rep MFA, Georgetown University and BADA. “Zan, Zendegi, Azadi.”

SIVAN BATTAT

DIRECTOR

SIVAN BATTAT (she/they) is a theatre director & community organizer, and the Director of New Work Development at Noor Theatre. Recent credits include: Wish You Were Here (Yale Rep), Layalina (World Premiere, Goodman), Heroes of the Fourth Turning (Studio), Brass Knuckles (Ensemble Studio Theatre), Trouble in Mind (AD, Broadway). Fellowships include: Roundabout Directing Fellow, Drama League Directing Fellow, TCG Rising Leaders of Color & The Workshop, centering the work of JOCISM (Jews of Color, Jewish-Indigenous, Sephardi & Mizrahi) artists & culture-makers. sivanbattat.com

LIZZIE STERN

DRAMATURG

LIZZIE STERN is a creative producer, dramaturg, and writer in New York. She is the Literary Director at Playwrights Horizons, where she helps curate season programming, and serves as a dramaturg; she also is Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Playwrights literary magazine, Almanac, and co-runs a financial literacy program for theater artists. Outside of Playwrights, Lizzie is currently working with David Byrne on his next book. As a playwright, she has been produced in New York and Istanbul, and is an alum of EST/Youngblood, Clubbed Thumb’s Early-Career Writers’ Group, and SPACE on Ryder Farm. Born and raised in New York City; BA from Williams College.

Babak Tafti*

PERFORMER (THE APOSTLE/DOCTOR/AR)

BABAK TAFTI (he/him) Theater credits: “Cassio” in OTHELLO (The Public’s Shakespeare in the Park), Selling Kabul (Williamstown Theatre Festival), AGAINST THE HILLSIDE (EST), THE PROFANE (Playwrights Horizons), and SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS (Ars Nova / Signature Theatre). On TV, Babak can be seen as “Bradford Luke” on the final season of BILLIONS (Showtime). TV credits include Succession (HBO), Super Pumped (Showtime), Legacies (CW), and many more. He can next be seen as a lead in Joanna Arnow’s film THE FEELING THAT THE TIME FOR SOMETHING HAS PASSED (Magnolia Pictures). MFA Acting, Yale School of Drama.

Eric Miller*

PERFORMER (ZACK)

ERIC T. MILLER (he/him): Theater credits include Mope (Ensemble Studio Theatre), rogerandtom (HERE), Sweet Storm (LAByrinth), (A)Loft Modulation (American Vicarious), Awake and Sing! and Ripcord (Huntington Theatre), Wink (TerraNova), Luft Gangster (Sheen Center), Safe Home (Royal Family Productions), Betrayed (Culture Project) as well as work at Syracuse Stage, Bard’s Summerscape, New York Stage and Film, Rattlestick, PS 122, Workshop, and the Flea.
Television/Film credits include Mare of Easttown, Separation, Law & Order: Organized Crime, FBI: Most Wanted, Halston, Jules, The Good Fight, Blue Bloods, Chicago PD, Blacklist, Person of Interest, Elementary, The Unusuals, Kings, Law & Order, Reaching Home, The Waiting Room, Home, Tom’s Dilemma, AdFirm, Redemption in Cherry Springs, Josie & Jack, and the Academy Award nominated Nyad with Annette Bening and Jodie Foster. www.erictroymiller.com

Rachel B. Joyce

PERFORMER (CLAIRE)

RACHEL B. JOYCE (she/her) has had Recurring Roles in I’M DYING UP HERE (Showtime) and the ILIZA SHLESINGER SKETCH SERIES (Netflix). She played supporting roles in MODERN LOVE (Amazon), LOVE LIFE (HBO Max) and YOUNGER and THE JIM GAFFIGAN SHOW (TV Land). Joyce most recently starred as Millie (and many others) in THE PANIC OF ‘29 at 59E59. She also recently starred as Zoey in ZOEY’S PERFECT WEDDING by Matthew Lopez at Hartford Theaterworks. Joyce is co-founder of the theatre company, Less Than Rent, for which she starred in their world premiere of FUCK MARRY KILL written by James Presson (VINYL, GET SHORTY) at the New Ohio Theatre, Off-Broadway. Other New York theater credits include productions and workshops at Playwrights Horizons, Lincoln Center Theater, 59E59 and New Georges Theater. Joyce is the creator, executive producer and star of the digital comedy series, ROYALLY, for which she won “Best Actress in a Comedy” and “Critics Award” at the New York Television Festival and “Best Lead Actress in a Comedy” at the INDIE SERIES AWARDS.

Sophia Lillis

PERFORMER (ABBY/JENNY)

SOPHIA LILLIS (she/her) is 22 years old and lives in the Upper West Side with her cat Percy. She attended the Repertory Company High School for Theatre Arts in Manhattan and later graduated in 2020 from the Professional Children’s School. She trained at Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute for 7 years. She started working as an actor in theatre in Julie Taymor’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and in film and TV as Beverly in “IT” and as Young Camille in the HBO series “Sharp Objects”. Her other projects include the films “Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase”, “Gretel & Hansel”, “Uncle Frank”, “IT Chapter Two”, “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves”, “Asteroid City” and “The Adults”, and the Netflix series “I Am Not Okay with This”. She played the role of Emily in Studio Theatre’s production of Will Arbery’s “Heroes of the Fourth Turning.”

Nate Miller

PERFORMER (ZACK Stand-In)

NATE MILLER (he/him) is a Brooklyn based Actor/Producer & founding member of Lesser America Theatre Co. A Milwaukee native, he is a graduate of Marquette University & The Juilliard School’s Drama Division. Broadway: “JUNK” at LCT. Off Broadway: “The Merchant of Venice” at TFANA, “India Pale Ale”, “Ripcord”, “Of Good Stock” at MTC, “Love and Information” at NYTW, “Peter and The Starcatcher” at New World Stages. www.lesseramerica.com @iamnatemiller

Sarah Samonte

STAGE MANAGER

SARAH SAMONTE (she,her) is a Filipina American Event and Theater Production Human. Born in NYC, raised in the desert of Arizona, based in Brooklyn. Recent credits include, Terce (ASM, Here Arts), Healing Shipment (PSM, La Mama), Thurgood Marshall Legacy and Legends Gala (ASM, Eventique), Society (SM, Williamstown), While We Wait (PSM, New School), while experimenting and developing various projects at the Mercury Store.