Iranian play ‘The Door,’ directed by Mehdi Mashhour and performed by Iran Saye Theatre Group, will go on stage at the Donzdorf International Theater Festival 2015.
Previously, a play titled ‘The Man and Words’ by the same group had made its way to Broadway Theater after a great reception by American audiences and theater companies in the Midtown International Theatre Festival.
“We are currently rehearsing the play that will go on stage at the festival on May 14 in the city of Stuttgart,” said its director, Honaronline reported.
Immigration is the main theme of ‘The Door.’ Two women talk about their unique immigration plight and experiences as the play unfolds. Mana Hemmati and Elham Jalali are the only cast.
The play was previously staged at Se Noghte Hall in Tehran. It is making a comeback with major changes such as being performed entirely in English. The cast and crew also plan to stage it in New York and San Francisco as they have received invitations from the two American cities.
Donzdorf International Theater Festival takes places every three years in Stuttgart. This year 15 theater groups from 12 countries are participating in its ninth edition.
Referring to the policy of the ministry of culture and Islamic guidance to pay more attention to the field of theater in the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21), Mashhour said “I am optimistic, but private theater has been neglected for years, and the government should take a clear stance on the matter”.
Privatization
He said privatization of theater does not entail “total independence from the government or its support.” As a rule, governments around the world do not interfere in theater-related affairs, but subsidize private theater groups and companies; however, the focus in Iran is on Fajr (the most prominent theater festival in Iran) and other traditional theater festivals,” he maintained.
Clarifying that he is not against such events, he added that the government should “not trigger competition between public and private theater as the field of art is not competitive by nature”.
“It is not right to allocate government funds to only one good festival among many, and authorize its public performance,” he said, and pointed out that despite a number of private theater halls that have been established in the country in the past few years, “no proper private theater groups have been formed due to lack of government support.”
He asserted that until field experts are assigned to deal with the situation, “a large part of the state budget will go to unjustified festivals while promising private theater companies are left unsupported.”
