Managing Director of Dramatic Arts Center Opens "Sangelaj with Khalaj"
Khalaj Reflects Sophistication of Ordinary People
"Sangelaj with Khalaj" opened in Sangelaj Theater with speeches by Mahdi Shafiee, managing director of Dramatic Arts Center, and Qotbeddin Sadeghi, renowned theater director, on career of noted Iranian theater director, playwrights and actor Esmail Khalaj.
The opening included reading the play of "Goldouneh Khanoum", which is written by Esmail Khalaj, Iran Theater reported.
Golab Adineh, Maryam Boubani, Shadi Sayadinia, Akbar Rahmati, Mehdi Maimi, Majid Giaychi, Mohammad Seddighmehr and Email Khalaj invited to the set by presenter of the ceremony Qotbeddin Sadeghi.
Mr Sadeghi said in his speech that plays written by Esmail Khalaj reflect his direct encounter with the society he lives in.
Sadeghi said that modern play writing in Iran had begun in 1960s when there had been several inclinations.
Bijan Mofid had written about ancient fairytales, Barham Beyzaei on mythology while Ali Nasirian worked on traditional theater styles, he said and added that two shining figures Akbar Radi and Gholamhossein Saedi wrote plays on the intellectual middle class.
"But what makes Esmail Khalaj outstanding is that he reflects the lives of a class of the society no other Iranian pundit, playwright and director did in the past," Mr Sadeghi argued. "It is the audacity and creativity of Esmail Khalaj who connects with the outcast and downtrodden to picture these people of the society."
Mahdi Shafiee also said that he was willing to talk about aspects of character of master Khalaj as a kind supporter, adding that he was sensitive towards a layer of the society and their lives had been a source of creating plays.
Mr Shafiee said that this layer of society had not probably been audience of his plays but members of culture and art community who had largely been from middle class could see their pictures and sophistication through the plays of master Khalaj.
Picturing the sophistication of the ordinary people who could easily be taken as simple was not an easy task and had been a golden aspect of the plays of master Khalaj, Mr Shafiee said.
Plays, written by Esmail Khalaj, are read in Sangelaj Theater from Wednesday until Sunday under "Sangelaj with Khalaj".
Mr Khalaj has been directing the play-reading sessions. Gholab Adineh, Maryam Boubani, Shadi Sayyadinia, Mehdi Miami, Akbar Rahmati, Mehdi Mayami, Majid Giahchi, Mohammad Saddighmehr and Esmail Khalaj will perform the plays.
“Sangelaj with Khalaj” included “Goldouneh Khanoum” (first night), “Soghra Dallak” and “Baba Shirali” (second night) and parts of “Incomplete Stories”, “Seven Short Plays” and “Jomehkoshi”.
The reading starts at 18:00 every day.
Born in 1946, Esmail Khalaj is one of the pioneer playwrights of Iran. Most of his plays had been staged in the 1970s. Esmail Khalaj had directed most of his plays back then. His dialogs are unique, brave and rich in sense of humor.