Puppet Opera Museum to Open for Public on April 3

Puppet Opera Museum, which is initiated and designed by Behrouz Gharibpour, was inaugurated on March 27 concurrent with the National Theatre Day and the World Theatre Day in the capital Tehran, irantheater.ir reported.

Mr Gharibpour, renowned Iranian director, explained that the museum would open on April 3 after certain financial and administrative affairs organized.  

He added that the museum would open for public visit every day from 11 am until 5 pm and schools could arrange group visit after coordination with Ferdowsi Theater Hall.

Interested audiences who watch pieces in the Ferdowsi Theater Hall could buy tickets and visit the museum during the shows.

Museum was inaugurated on March 27 in a ceremony attended by cultural officials and theatre artists.

Mr Gharibpour, director, author and head of Aran Theatre Troupe, had told irantheater.ir earlier this week that the museum including the puppets of the shows of the group would open following a three-year delay thanks to supports of Roudaki Artistic and Cultural Foundation, Contemporary Arts Development Institute and the Dramatic Arts Center.

Mr Gharibpour explained that the museum would serve as an archive of the Aran Troupe as well as storage of puppets for future performances.

The puppets and accessories on display in the museum were results of 14 years of efforts by Aran Troupe, he said and added that the museum was designed in a way that it could educate visitors too, especially those coming from schools and universities.

More than 550 puppets are exhibited in the museum including those from puppet operettas such as “Rostam & Sohrab”, “Macbeth”, “Hafiz”, “Mowlavi”, “Sa’adi” and “Leili and Majnoun”.

The National Theatre Day was celebrated on March 27 for the first time in Iran concurrent with the World Theatre Day.