Socialistic Ideals Not Dead

The cast of the play includes Shaghayegh Farahani, Sania Salari, Vahid Daheshkar, Masoud Rahimpour, Fahimeh Rahimnia, Abolfazl Shahkaram, Hamid Safaei, Ali Taheri, Negin Abdali, Zahra Roshanzamir, Ali Bigham, Behzad Farahani, Mahsa Eghbali, Siavosh Khademhosseini, Hassan Yarlou, Ensi Ramezani, Hamid Yaghoubian, Melika Razi, Mohammad Aghamohammadi and Abdollah Ehsani. "Minstrel" has performances every day except for Saturdays at 19:00 at Samandarian Hall of Iranshahr Theater Complex.

Irantheater.ir has conducted an interview with Behzad Farahani.

Do you regard "Minstrel" a joyful love play based on traditional Iranian theater?   

"Minstrel" is a social drama that one third of its duration is devoted to folklore and national Iranian music. It has poetries written by me. Musical instruments such as tar, setar, kamancheh, tonbak and dayereh are used in its music. Love plays an important role in its story. The story of love is different in our country, most of them had bitter endings and tragic. This gives us a good chance to tell the tragedy of lives of people.

 

Did you seek a new and different environment in this play?

It is fact that the people have been expecting compassion from their governments for years. This compassion can be translated in good livelihoods and freedom. Unfortunately they are deprived of them. The officials admit that they have not managed to give the people their demands. This powerful tractor, which could change the life with its arrival, had unfortunately chained our hands.

 

Does the tractor which is gifted to Shokoufeh (the young woman character) in "Minstrel" a symbol?

I do not accept any play without supporting the people. Each play must have its objective. I do not accept being absurd or nihilistic.

Thus, are you hopeful?

We have been hopeful that made revolution.

Is the village that "Minstrel" is taking place a symbol of Iran in general?

I am hopeful that I have managed to convey such situation to a section of the country's pundits and intellectuals.

How much have you been influenced by Iran's traditional theater and Takht-e Hozi?

I am interested in Iran's traditional theater. I believe we should first learn to walk and then enter a marathon competition…Our national and Iranian theater must grow first…Then we should claim that we are able to perform modern foreign plays.  Mehdi Fathi, Shahin Sarkisian, Akbar Radi and Bahram Beyzaei are still unparalleled. We should have lots of such big names.

Do you think the young generation have managed to follow the path of the big names?

The acting is good in Iran. But we face major weaknesses in play writing except for a few names. I respect the young playwrights but I believe many young authors are engaged in plagiarism…

Given the fall of communism and death of Fidel Castrol, do you still believe in your socialistic ideals and thoughts?

My ideals had not been non-academic and with no (research) backing, which could be forsaken. My idea of socialism is still alive. I will accept the words of those who say socialism is dead whenever the gap between poor and rich is removed in Iran and other neighboring countries.