TEHRAN – The Islamic Revolution Martyr Foundation (Bonyad-e Shahid) will be cooperating with the 39th Fajr International Theater Festival, supporting the Soldier of the Revolution, a section dedicated to street theater.

“Theatrical productions play a key role in promoting the culture of sacrifice and martyrdom. The art department of the foundation has long been paying due attention to the street theater for its unique characteristics in its performance and communication with the audience,” director of the department Morteza Hosseini said in a press release published on Monday.

He called the Soldier of the Revolution a section that requires hard-working artists and said that he is sure that a number of valuable works have been prepared for this section.

12 plays have been selected by a team consisting of the stage artists Tohid Masumi, Saeid Kheirollahi, and Mohammad Larti for the Soldier of the Revolution section of the festival.

“Those Years” by director Bahareh Saeidinia, “His is Champion Akbar” by Mostafa Dehasht and Bahar Bordbar, “Cocoon of the Revolution” by Puya Emami, “Life with the Taste of Gunpowder” by Mojtaba Khalili, and  “In the Name of” by Akbar Qahremani are among the plays. 

Also included is “The Ring” by Nesa Soleimani, “General” by Saeid Badini, “Soldier of the Commander” by Amin Purmand, “Commander of the Shrine” by Amir Amini, “Messenger” by Hessameddin Iranmanesh, “No One Is a Man like You” by Behnam Kaveh and “When Hell Freezes Over” by Mehrdad Kavus Hosseini.

The festival will be running from January 30 to February 9 this year.

According to the director of the festival, Hossein Mosafer Astaneh, the international competition of the 2021 edition of the event will not be held due to a spike in coronavirus cases around the globe.

“There will be no international section for the 39th edition of the festival, because most of the theater companies around the world are currently closed,” Mosafer Astaneh has earlier said.

He said that several overseas troupes and stage experts will be invited to organize workshops or performances but the festival cannot be considered an international event.

These days in which Tehran has turned from a high-risk red zone into an orange and yellow, and the theaters will also reopen, the festival will likely host several stage performances with limited numbers in audiences, Mosafer Astaneh has said.

Photo: A theater troupe gives a performance at the 38th Fajr International Theater Festival in the courtyard of Tehran’s City Theater Complex on February 8, 2021. (IRNA/Asghar Khamseh) 

RM/YAW