The members of Peydah Theatre Company found each other almost by accident. In August of 2019, Shadi Ghaheri pulled together a cast of Iranian-American actors, most of whom had never worked together before, for a one-night staged reading of her play “Tosca Tehran” at the Atlantic Theater Company. The power of filling the stage with Iranian-American actors telling their own story, directed by a female Iranian director to a room full of New Yorkers from all backgrounds and ethnicities was resounding. The electrifying reception of the work was felt by all. A week later, Shadi invited the cast to dinner, where she shared her desire to capture the energy by creating an all Iranian and Iranian-American theatre company together. Every single person was on board. The company remained untitled for weeks, as they worked to establish a mission statement, discuss social and artistic goals, and handle the logistical process of creating a new theatre company. Then, just as they found themselves, the name “Peydah” came to them. In Farsi, “peydah” means “to be found or discovered; to become visible of manifest; to arise, spring up, originate.” And just like that, Peydah found, founded, and found each other.