TEHRAN – The Titovak Theater Troupe from Iran is scheduled to perform its acclaimed production “Macbeth of Zar” as the representative of the country at the 4th edition of Baghdad International Theater Festival. 

The festival will take place in the Iraqi capital from October 10 to 17, featuring works from 24 countries, including Iraq, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Italy, France, Russia, Belgium, Turkey, Germany, Brazil, Angola, and Iran, ISNA reported on Saturday. 

Written and directed by Ebrahim Poshtkuhi, “Macbeth of Zar” has been performed in several national and international festivals so far. 

In this play, Poshtkuhi blends Macbeth with Zar, a rite commonplace in southern Iran, in the musical comedy.

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's finest plays, and presents a man's conscience and the effect of guilt on his mind. A dark and bloody play, Macbeth explores reality and illusion; witchcraft and the supernatural; ambition and kingship; the natural order; light and life, darkness and death; blood and dead babies.

Zar is a legacy from slavery as it was performed by African slaves who were brought to southern Iran. They performed it on weekends in order to gain energy to enable them to bear the burden of bondage for the rest of the week. Over time, ordinary people also joined in their musical rite comprising ecstatic dance with dammam (tom-tom) playing.

Today, Zar is mostly performed by workers in a group named ahl-e hava, which is conducted by a leader called a babazari.

In this play, Scottish general Macbeth commits a crime to join an ahl-e hava to become a babazari.

It was previously staged in Iran under the title of “Hey Macbeth, Only the First Dog Knows Why It Is Barking”.

The troupe performed the play at the 41st Fajr International Theater Festival in Tehran in February. The play brought Poshtkuhi an honorable mention in the best play category. In addition, musician Behrang Abbasi won the award for best composer for his collaboration in this play.

“Macbeth of Zar” was invited to the International Theatre Festival Rainbow in St. Petersburg, Russia in June after that festival’s director saw it at the Fajr festival.

“Although the [St. Petersburg] festival is a non-competitive event, our play was awarded a trophy from the festival on the closing day,” the director announced. 

SAB/