Hamid Dehghani is an Iranian theatre director, playwright, and actor recognized for his innovative storytelling and powerful explorations of human connection and cultural identity. In Iran, he developed a reputation for imaginative storytelling, writing and directing original productions such as From the Environs of Milad and Sohrab’s Transgression, and staging Nathan and Tabileth by Barry Bermange and Leila by Morteza Hossein Zadeh. After earning his Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Directing from Tehran University of Art, he spent more than a decade contributing to the growth of Tehran’s theatre landscape before relocating to the United States in 2018.

In the U.S., Hamid pursued an MFA in Directing at Northwestern University, where he directed a diverse range of plays, including Mohammad Yaghoubi’s A Moment of Silence, Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice, and Rajiv Joseph’s Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. Alongside these productions, he gained valuable experience in the American theatre industry by assisting at institutions such as the Metropolitan Opera, Court Theatre, Northlight Theatre, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. In 2020, when the pandemic forced theatres to shut down, he co-founded Grass Studio Theatre, creating three devised works—Picnic, Story in a Box, and Reportage of a Room—all performed outdoors in Chicago to ensure theatre remained accessible to the community. Shortly after theatres reopened, he staged Baba by Denmo Ibrahim at Amphibian Stage.

In the 2023/2024 season, Hamid directed English at both the Goodman and Guthrie Theatres, as well as Selling Kabul at Northlight Theatre, earning widespread critical acclaim for both productions. Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune described English as “a superb piece of direction… exquisitely paced, subtle of idea and formidably communicative.” The Chicago Reader highlighted his impact, noting, “Dehghani made his professional directing debut in Chicago earlier this year with Northlight Theatre’s searing, emotionally rich production of Sylvia Khoury’s Selling Kabul. English should cement his reputation hereabouts as a director of formidable gifts.”