In The Savor of a Sweet Surprise, two siblings invite the audience to take part in an interactive performance where they decorate halva—a Persian dessert—together. Infused with surprises, the act of decoration becomes a magical portal, allowing the siblings to take on the forms of animals. A transformation they learned from their grandmother—the master of the art of disappearance. Through stories, choreographies, and food, the piece explores how kitsch and decoration can become social strategies for both escape and remembrance.

Sepideh Khodarahmi and Afrang Nordlöf Malekian