NOWADAYS THEATRE is a Toronto-based not-for-profit company founded in 2016 by Aida Keykhaii and Mohammad Yaghoubi, following more than a decade of artistic work in Iran under the company’s well-known Farsi name, Inrooz-ha (meaning “Nowadays”).

Mohammad Yaghoubi is a multi-award-winning playwright, director, screenwriter, and theatre instructor with nearly 20 years of experience, who established his career in Tehran before immigrating to Canada. Aida Keykhaii, also highly respected in Iran, has worked for almost two decades as a director, actor, producer, and theatre instructor.

The company prioritizes socially relevant works that spark dialogue, inspire critical thought, and foster community engagement. Its mission includes promoting cross-cultural exchange and celebrating Canada’s cultural diversity. One of its signature initiatives is translating Canadian plays into Farsi and Iranian plays into English, building artistic bridges between communities. Reflecting its mandate to support equity and inclusion, NOWADAYS THEATRE frequently collaborates with multicultural artists, and according to the definition of priority groups, the company employs artists of colour.

Our works have been performed internationally in Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Kurdistan, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Turkey, and the United States, as well as across Canada.

In 2016, NOWADAYS THEATRE staged the English premiere of Mohammad Yaghoubi’s acclaimed “A Moment of Silence” at the SummerWorks Performance Festival.

In 2018, with support from the Toronto Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Council, the company produced “Dance of Torn Papers” in both English and Farsi, each version featuring a different cast. The English-language production included performers of Chinese, Iraqi, Pakistani, Italian, Iranian, and Francophone backgrounds, while the Farsi-language production featured young Iranian actors and was presented for the Farsi-speaking community in Toronto.

During the 2018–2019 season, the company was selected as the RBC Emerging Company in Residence at Canadian Stage, where it presented Yaghoubi’s “The Only Possible Way” with a cast of Iranian newcomers and refugees. That same year, Keykhaii directed “Swim Team” at the SummerWorks Festival, earning recognition on NOW Magazine’s “Best of the Fest” list and an honourable mention at the Canadian Stage Awards for Direction.

In 2020, NOWADAYS premiered the English version of “Winter of 88”, written and directed by Yaghoubi, at the Next Stage Theatre Festival, where the production received rave reviews, including a 5N rating from NOW Magazine.

In 2020, NOWADAYS THEATRE premiered the English version of “Winter of 88”, written and directed by Mohammad Yaghoubi, at the Next Stage Theatre Festival, where it received rave reviews, including a 5N rating from NOW Magazine.

In January 2022, the company premiered “Heart of a Dog” at the same festival, with support from the Toronto Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts. Later that year, in August, it explored new storytelling formats through Persimmon, a 360-degree video project also supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.

Most recently, in 2024, the company premiered Earworm in association with Crow’s Theatre. Performed bilingually in English and Farsi, the production received glowing reviews, was named a Critic’s Pick by The Globe and Mail, and was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award.

To date, NOWADAYS THEATRE has presented twelve works in Canada, including Proof, The Pillowman, The Monsters, Sleeping in an Empty Cup, Iceland, Angels in Iran, A Moment of Silence, Swim Team, Dance of Torn Papers, The Only Possible Way, Winter of 88, Heart of a Dog, Persimmon (a 360-degree video project), and Earworm.

Now, more than ever, the company senses a collective yearning for community and connection. Theatre has long provided space for people of diverse political views, backgrounds, and life experiences to come together. Research even shows that watching theatre can synchronize audience members’ heartbeats—an embodiment of shared humanity.

Looking to the future, NOWADAYS THEATRE remains committed to creating meaningful, diverse, and transformative theatrical experiences. It continues to provide a platform for voices that deserve to be heard, building bridges of understanding and unity through the art that connects us all.