Iranian theater artist Homa Rousta held a play reading session to raise funds for artists afflicted with cancer.
The play ‘Anna Karenina’, originally written by the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, was directed by Rousta, and recited to the audience by a group of artists on Saturday at Tehran’s National Library of Iran.
The play was a symbolic act to draw decision makers’ attention to the problems of artists struggling with cancer, ILNA reported.
“Many of the artists, when afflicted with terminal diseases, like cancer, don’t receive any financial support for their costly medications and treatment. Considering the fact that they are, especially those in the theatre business, not usually very affluent, it puts great financial burden on families, to the extent that some take recourse to selling their homes and rent somewhere to live,” said Rousta. She called the situation “unfair” as the art society needs “peace of mind to create art.”
This comes after Iran lost three of its popular artists in just the past few weeks to cancer.
The reading session was a result of the collaboration of artists such as Taraneh Alidousti, Hassan Ma’jouni, Reza Behboudi, Setareh Pesyani, Leili Rashidi and Mohammad Charmshir.
The event received considerable acclaim by the people. Among the viewers were also some officials and artists including Ahmad Masjid-Jamei, Mohammad-Hadi Ayazi, Fereydun Amuzadeh-Khalili, and Elyas Hazrati.
Former president Seyed Mohammad Khatami apologized in a message for not being able to participate in the event, and wished for the wellbeing of all artists.
The play ‘Anna Karenina’ was published in serial installments from 1873 to 1877 in the periodical ‘The Russian Messenger’. Widely regarded as a pinnacle in realist fiction, Tolstoy considered ‘Anna Karenina’ his first true novel.
