The Marsh Rising Presents
Michelle Moghtader’s
Saffron Confessions
The Marsh San Francisco Mainstage
November 4, 2026
Wednesday at 7:30 pm
Written & Performed by Michelle Moghtader
Directed by Jeff Walsh
Ticket Information
Tickets: $15 – $25 General Seating | $50 & $100 Reserved Seating
60 minutes | No intermission | Ages 14+
(Please do not bring infants to the show)
Online ticket sales close 2 hours before each performance.
Additional tickets may be available for purchase at the door.
About the Show
Michelle grew up Iranian-American in Virginia, with a family that loved her loudly and judged her constantly. The Iran they talked about was a place she’d never been allowed to see. So she went looking for it herself.
Saffron Confessions is a semi-autobiographical one-woman comedy about a daughter who gets curious about her heritage and discovers it on her own terms. Set at one chaotic Iranian-American dinner party, Michelle plays her whole family across three generations: a perfectionist mom, a moonshining uncle, a radical grandmother. As the guests arrive and the tea is poured, old questions surface: Why do some people leave home while others stay? And what do we owe the people we come from?
Funny, tender and deeply personal, it’s a show about family, belonging, and loving a culture you can’t fully reach.
Winner of Best Drama and Audience Choice at The Marsh’s 2026 In Front of Your Eyes Festival.
What audiences are saying
“I laughed and cried in alternating waves, then sat in silence for a while after it ended just to take it all in.” Carlotta S.
“The one hour both went quickly and also transported me to entirely different eras and geographies. A stunning contribution to culture, art, education and theater.” Lily S.
Artist Biography
Michelle Moghtader is a San Francisco-based comedian, writer and performer. Before comedy, she was a Middle East correspondent for Reuters. Saffron Confessions grew out of her TV pilot The United States of Amrika, premiered at PlayGround’s Free-Play Festival in 2026, and won Best Drama and Audience Choice at The Marsh’s In Front of Your Eyes Festival. She co-produces the comedy series Lipstick Riot in San Francisco. Her work explores diaspora, identity and the chaos of family life with warmth, honesty and humor.
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