Fajr Int’l Theatre Festival Underway in Iran

A total of 14 plays were staged on the eighth day of Fajr Int’l Theatre Festival on Friday, January 27, at different locations in Tehran, ISNA reported.

‘Baloon’, a play from the Netherlands directed by Dutch actress-director Boukje Schweigman, was performed at Iranshahr Theatre.

Competing in the Nation’s Theatre section of the festival, the play is a journey exploring boundaries and space and a trip through light and darkness in which Schweigman and two other actors played.

Directed by the Polish actor and theatre director, ‘Chorus of Orphans’ was staged at Hafez Hall.

The play was an abstract, wordless performance of the ordeals suffered by children whose parents have died; and used the situation of an orphanage as metaphor for living in Poland.

 

Unconventional Swiss Play

An unusual play from Switzerland was performed at Molavi Hall. Tilted ‘Twilight’, it was more like an artistic installation than a real theatrical performance as it had no actor and no story. The set included five benches and lots of lamps which were turned on and off during the one-hour play. The set design was accompanied by music and sound of cars in the street, dogs barking, rain falling, storm and piano melodies among other sounds.

Director of the work, Caristina Galbiati, said lighting and sounds served as the actors in his production and the story unravels in the audience’s mind.

Acclaimed Iranian author, translator and head of ‘Mardom’ (people) Theatre Group, Dariush Moaddabian, also came to the festival with three productions staged at Entezami House Museum in the Fajr+ section which is non-competitive.

In ‘An Adventurous Day for Mr. Falentin’ written by German comedian and author Karl Valentin, Moaddabian has combined 8 short comedies by Valentin which he has translated and performed earlier. The play will be performed on Sunday and Monday.

‘Reading Golestan’, based on tales from the famous book by the classical Persian poet Saadi, will be staged on Saturday. In the work, Moaddabian plays the role of Saadi as the narrator.

‘Postal Order and Gumidan Family’ is another play he staged on Thursday. It was a mix of two short comedies by the late 19th and early 20th century French dramatist, novelist and satirist Georges Courteline.

Here are photos of the ongoing festival released by Honar Online:

 

The festival will conclude on January 31 by announcing the winners in different sections, Financial Tribune reported.

From early January till mid-February, several festivals are held under the banner of ‘Fajr,’ on the occasion of the 10-Day Dawn (Fajr) Festivities to mark the anniversary of the 1979 revolution in Iran.