Meeting of General Directors of Performing Arts of Western Asian Countries Opens
Mehdi Shafiei: Gathering Will Help Joint Production of Regional Countries
Mehdi Shafiei said at the meeting of general directors of performing arts of Western Asian countries that Iran and other regional countries had cultural commonalities. Strengthening the cultural communications and setting up structures to produce joint theater productions are on the agenda of the event.
Mehdi Shafiei, director of the Dramatic Arts Center, said at the gathering that the participation showed determination of these countries to walk in the path of culture to have an effective communication established by the power of art and make the world a better place, irantheater.ir reported.
Talking about humane values and improving the world for now and in the future is possible under the shadow of art with the valuable potentials of theater, he said. "The logic of art must stand against violence and lack of emotion and reasonability nowadays under the precarious condition of the world and the region, which is poisoned with the fear of war and massacre," the official said.
Stressing that the development of theater would open windows of expansion of ties in cultural and social fields, Mr Shafiei said that expansion of ties through theater inside and outside the country would pave the way for development of inter-cultural and international relationships.
A dialogue through the cultural relationships is the best way to make the nations closer and resolve problems rooted in conflict of interests, relations and human behaviors, Mr Shafiei said.
On the history of theater in Iran, the official said that the art of theater date back to ancient times in this several-thousand-year civilization as Iranians chased high meanings of life.
The history of performing rituals and narration traditions date back to over 3,000 years, he said and added that Ta'zieh is one of this rich cultural background, which is known among the world artists and researchers.
In addition to this strong background of traditional theater, which is a century-old, Shafiei said, Iran has been experiencing a modern theater and play writing too.