Mahdi Shafiee: Festivals Strengthen Iran Theater

Provinces Top Theater Works Conference opened on Saturday in Tehran City Theater with the participation of Director General of Dramatic Arts Center, Mahdi Shafiee, secretary of Fadjr International Theater Festival, Saeed Asadi, and director of Dramatic Arts Center for provincial affairs, Atabak Naderi, irantheater.ir reported.

Mr Shafiee, in a brief speech delivered to the gathering, said that the conference adopted a new model and the members of the jury would judge the works for two years.

This conference would be a good chance for directors of the country’s dramatic arts associations to put on debate Iran macro policies of theater, the official said.

Mr Shafiee stressed that Fadjr theater festival and other festivals were aimed at bolstering theater in the county, make it familiar to people outside the theater community and increase its audience.

He added that festivals used to be a core of theater activities in Iran but they only serve as a medium to bolster theater.

If Iran did not have Fadjr theater festivals and provincial festivals, such enthusiasm for higher education in theater field would not happen, the official said. The country owes its academic wealth of theater to such festivals, he emphasized.

Shafiee hoped that theater community would benefit from such opportunities to help festivals gain their preliminary aims, which had been strengthening theater and increasing the audience.