Aftab (literary meaning sunshine) Theater Hall in northern Tehran was officially inaugurated in the presence of artists and cultural officials on May 7.
The play ‘Killing the Pigeon’, written by Mohammad Charmshir and directed by Reza Haddad, was staged as its first performance, ISNA reported.
Art Deputy at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ali Moradkhani said the establishment of private theater halls “has made it possible for over 100 plays to be staged in Tehran every night on average.”
“In fact, the ministry does not have enough personnel to supervise or monitor all the halls and their activities regularly, so we have entrusted the task to the people involved in theater,” Moradkhani said.
“Monitoring is carried out within the framework of the understanding reached between the two sides.”
Ahmad Masjed-Jamei, member of the Tehran City Council and former culture minister, pointed to the people’s enthusiasm to attend cultural and artistic events and said the increasing number of cinema and theater audiences in the past two years has created a promising future and more opportunities for investment by the private sector. This will reduce the responsibilities of the Culture Ministry.
The new venue, established by Aftab Theater Company with theater director Haddad as manager, aims to support the development of private theater and create space for different artistic experiences in theater.
‘Killing the Pigeon’ is about a group of young girls who believe people suffering from severe diseases should be wiped out from the earth so that they can have a perfect world. The story shows their violent actions and the influence of their decision on them.
A cast of nine new actresses perform in the play while Haddad is known to use known actors in his performances. “The story, which tries to explore the minds of the young generation, necessitated the use of young actors,” he said.
“It displays the violence that surrounds us and our world. Every day, we see, read or hear such news in the media. Violence has become a routine in our lives. So the show, although uses an all-female cast, is not feminist,” Haddad added.
Saeideh Ajorli, Dorsa Abolfazli, Maedeh Asadolahi, Sonia Esmaili, Pardis Ahmadieh, Azin Nazari, Nafiseh Zare, Setareh Maleki and Yasaman Mirzai are in the cast.
The play will be on stage till June 20 at the hall located at No. 26, Kaman Alley, before Jahan-e-Kudak junction, Africa Avenue.
