City Theater Festival to Be More Professional

Amir Abdolhosseini, deputy head of the Artistic Cultural Organization of Tehran Municipality for art affairs, and Shahram Karami, secretary of the festival and director of the Dramatic Arts Center of Tehran Municipality attended the presser, irantheater.ir reported.

Abdolhosseini expressed that the municipality was concerned about theater. “Tehran mayor [Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf] has stressed on the importance of theater repeatedly. The Theater Vision is under study to promote the field in a professional and ideal way. The head of organization pays due attention to the theater. We are assigned to take the field seriously. Shahram Karami is also among veteran directors and from theater circle of the country, who is concerned about theater.”

On City Theater Festival, he said that the event would show the importance of theater for the Artistic Cultural Organization of Tehran Municipality, he added.

Four editions of the festival had so far been held while it had witnessed growth both in quality and quantity, Mr Abdolhosseini said and added that the fifth edition had shown improvement in the number of theater groups, performance and quality as it had grown more professional and had given due attention to under-30 youth.   

The official said that the municipality would support performance of the theater groups in cultural complexes as they hosted 1700 pieces –majority of them had been participants of the previous four editions. “The groups should not be forgotten after the festival,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, Shahram Karami said that 14 new auditorium would host the pieces since next Iranian year to start March 2017 to help make the festival more professional.

Explaining that the theme of the fifth edition would be “Tehran, Respect for Life”, the secretary of the festival said the event was welcomed warmly as 1355 groups and artists submitted request to attend the festival of which 70 groups with 197 pieces would stage works.

Thirteen cultural complexes, affiliated to Tehran Municipality, including Khavaran, Arasbaran, Fadak, Sarv, Shafagh, Mowlavi Bigger and Smaller Halls, Mehrab, Theater Office, Shafaq Garden, Sarv Garden and Iran Arts Garden/Museum will host the audience, he said.

The festival will take place in the capital from September 12 to September 20.