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‘Scarecrow’ on Stage

‘Scarecrow’ on Stage
‘Scarecrow’ on Stage

The play ‘Scarecrow’ directed by Mehrdad Khamenei is underway at Ezzatolah Entezami Theatre Hall in Tehran.

It is based on ‘Four Boxes’ written by Bahram Beyzai, 76, critically acclaimed Iranian film and theatre director, screenwriter and playwright, Honaronline reports.

The story is about four characters, each representing a certain social group (industrialists, intellectuals, religious and common people respectively). To protect themselves against an unknown external threat, the characters build a scarecrow. However, the scarecrow suddenly comes to life and takes control of the four characters imprisoning each in a box. The character representing the common people finally breaks the box and stands against the creature they have created.

A touch of classic silent films like ‘The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari’, 1920 German horror film, directed by Robert Wiene, ‘An Andalusian Dog’, 1929 surrealist short film by the Spanish director Luis Bunuel and films by Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein, Russian film director, can be seen in the story, Khamenei said.

The “Four Boxes” is an allegorical work which explores the social and political realities of fascism.

Beyzai’s 1979 work explores authoritarianism and the impact autocratic rule can have on the sociopolitical fabric of society. Written in the midst of the 1979 Islamic Revolution it took inspiration from the political struggles of that time.

“I began the story with the events of Wiene’s play and concluded with Eisenstein’s movie, with the theme of ‘Four Boxes’,” Khamenei added.

Earlier, ‘Scarecrow’ was produced by Norwegian Exit Theatre, an independent, multicultural theatre group, and performed in Norway.

Ghazaleh Kan’an-Panah, Neda Asghari, Maryam Sayyad-Moqaddam, Ana Zarshin and Hadi Bilan are in the cast.

It will run through October 23 at Ezzatolah Entezami Theatre Hall, No. 28, Ahmadi Alley, Andarzgoo Blvd., Gheytarieh neighborhood, Tehran.

 

Financialtribune.com