The share of Iranian plays in FITF is low

He competes with the show Door & Dung  and Loaf of Bread in the 2023 FITF

We had an interview with him to get his expert opinions about the Iranian show and the 41st Fadjr International Theater Festival.

How did you find the initial idea of the play?

- I wrote this play many years ago, under the influence of several stories about the Razavi Family and the blessing of Imam Reza (as).

Were you considering these actors and actresses from the beginning?

- Most of the members of the theater troupe, like the performers, are from Alborz province, from the cities of Karaj, Hashtgerd, Nazarabad, etc., and most of them have a background in performing. The music of the show is played live.

You have worked mostly in the field of Iranian shows, You have had a similar approach in Door & Dung  and Loaf of Bread?

- Inspiring by  the Iranian show Takht-e Hozi, we did the stage design .Instead of being placed in the middle of the stage, the platform is placed in four parts and in the four corners of the stage, which is both the platform and the wall. The carpet was traditionally placed in the middle of the stage in all types of Takht-e Hozi and Ta'zieh performances, and we used carpet in the show, which is a kind of redefinition of the design and role of the carpet in the stage. Basically, the middle of Iranian theatrical scenes, including Takht-e Hozi , Naqqali and Ta'zieh, does not have a specific architectural identity and finds its identity through words and narration. This identity is also redefined and depending on the story of the show, it may be a shrine, a courtyard, an alley and a street, etc.

Has Door & Dung  and Loaf of Bread had other performances before?

- No, this show has not had any other performances before, and it will be on stage for the first time at the 2023 FITF, and It is supposed to have a public performance after the festival.

In the festival, Door & Dung  and Loaf of Bread  has been introduced as the most prominent Iranian show, what is your opinion about the contribution of Iranian shows in our festivals?

Considering that Fadjr Theater Festival is national, I think it is better for us to take more steps towards the performance of Iranian plays. We know that a large part of  contemporary Iranian shows are influenced by Western shows and a small part of these performances are influenced by Iranian and Eastern shows.

Of course, I would like the festival to have more Iranian shows. Because if Iranian shows do not get a chance to participate in these festivals, then where can they be formed in the structure of our show?

Some experts believe that because the Iranian show is formed among people and public places, these types of shows are more in the group of street shows. What is your opinion about this?

-No; That type of performance is the oldest and most natural stage form, but it also has its own special structure and rules. That kind of performance is remarkable, can be presented and discussed as a part of human experience.  Although it has a special feature in stage design and it mostly relies on signs; But it has very important features in its dramatic structure, and It is important that these forms have been formed in the center of Iranian people's culture. In other words, different ethnic groups have played a role in the formation of these arts at different historical times. Therefore, all these are different manifestations of our art

 

The 2023 FIFF comes to a close on January 31.