Sixth International Seminar of the 18^th Ritual/Traditional Theater Festival opened on August 30 with the participation of Ali Moradkhani, deputy culture and Islamic minister for artistic affairs, Mahdi Shafiee, director general of Dramatic Arts Center, Farhad Mohandespour, secretary of the Fadjr International Theater Festival, Davoud Fathalibeigi, secretary of the festival.

The seminar started with Mohammad Hossein Naserbakht, secretary of the two-day seminar, welcoming the participants and foreign guests and invited Mr Moradkhani to talk as first speaker, Iran Theater reported.

Mr Moradkhani hoped that the quality and quantity of plays in Iran showed that Iran theater was promoting significantly as 118 plays were performed every evening in the capital, Tehran.

The official said that Iranian directors were inclined to perform Iranian plays compared to the past which majority of shows had been written by foreign artists, adding that however, there were no problem in directing foreign plays because theater was a globalized art.

Meanwhile, Davoud Fathalibeigi, secretary of the festival, reminded that the festival, which had started with 12 plays in 1989, received 550 applicants this year for its various sections.

The 18th Traditional/Ritual Theater Festival will run until September 6.