The 18th Iran International Festival of University Theater commenced on May 19 to elicit greater interest from Tehranis in theater. The festival will go on till the end of summer.
The poster for the event was unveiled on May 17, Mehr news agency reported.
Cultural deputy at the ministry of science, Hossein Mirzaie said the ministry was keen on planning the festival, and expressed support for the event, although it is managed primarily by students and professors.
He said the festival will provide students and teachers with the opportunity “to use their potentials and gain new experience.”
Stressing the necessity of faculty members’ participation in playwriting and research, he expressed hope that they would be more active. “Directors and constituents will not be recognized if we don’t have a good play,” he noted.
Festival manager and Iranian Artists Forum head Dr. Majid Sarsangi’s contribution helped organize the event at short notice, Mirzaie said, and thanked Sarsangi for his contribution.
Festival Secretary Amir Morseli said programs including conferences, workshops, performances, and freelance works will be held.
Workshops
Workshops with various themes mostly on University Theater are underway at the Iranian Artists Forum, managed by German, English, Italian and Austrian professors, he said. The four-five hours sessions will be held for three days.
“Local theaters will stage plays from May 23,” Morseli said, adding that a total of 24 plays, including 3 foreign, will be performed. The festival will also stage 25 works in the free or non-competitive section.
The free section includes a joint work by Iran and the Netherlands and also plays by Iranian students. Joint collaborations with Germany and Georgia will be staged. Negotiations were held to allocate Milad and Azadi towers, Golestan Palace and Qasr Garden Museum to stage the performances.
Armenian, Lithuanian Finnish cultural figures were present at the inaugural.
