Iran theater is one of the richest and most dynamic in Asia and although it is under-researched, as there are not many references to it in books on Asian theater, it does not mean that Iran lacks a rich theater tradition, said Majid Sarsangi, faculty member of the Dramatic Arts Department of the University of Tehran.
In his speech on “Iranian Theater, from Tradition to Modernity” at the 20th edition of the conference “Performing Arts Meeting” in Tokyo, Japan, Sarsangi, who is also the director of the Iranian Artists Forum (IAF), referred to the long history of Iranian theater, saying there are only a few countries in the world whose drama tradition can compare with Iran’s, which is rich in Iranian-Islamic culture.
Numerous dramatic rituals were prevalent in the pre- and post-Islam Iran. “In fact, drama is part of the daily life of Iranians, “with cities serving as a large stage for performance of various forms of plays,” he added, according to an IAF press release.
Despite the unfair western sanctions on Iran’s nuclear program, local theater “is growing rapidly because of the large body of artists active in the field as well as the support of the audience.”
He stressed the popularity of performing arts among Iranian youth and said: “The younger artists, who along with the veterans have helped expand the popularity of Iranian theater, are the major component of this development.” He called on other theater personalities and researchers to help introduce Iran’s stage art to the world.
Just like Iran’s ritual and traditional theater in the past, which inspired western drama, the country’s contemporary theater also has the potential to offer novel approaches, he observed.
