Yekta Khaghani is an Iranian playwright, actor, and theater educator based in New York City. She earned a BA in Dramatic Literature from Tehran University of Art. In 2009, in response to political and social repression against theater artists, she joined an underground theater group called 'Khaneh' (xäne), meaning 'home' in Persian. This group, comprised of playwrights, actors, and directors, defied censorship by staging performances in private homes. Since moving to the US in 2016, Yekta has been a driving force behind numerous theatrical productions, both as a creator and performer. She has also adapted the series "Fairy Tales from Greater Iran" for audiobooks and the stage. Yekta is part of the People’s Theater Project company and serves as a Teaching Artist.
Yekta received the 2023 New York City Women Fund for her new play, which was showcased at The Tank theater in February 2024. Additionally, she was a semifinalist at the 2020 National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. In 2022, Yekta curated “Whispers of the Flesh,” an anthology by Iranian women playwrights, paying homage to their enduring strength.