TEHRAN – A memorandum of understanding was signed by the organizers of Iran’s Fajr International Theater Festival and the Athens and Epidaurus Festival on Tuesday, the organizers of the Fajr festival announced on Wednesday.

The director of Iran’s Center for Dramatic Arts, Mehdi Shafiei, and the artistic director of the Greek festival, Vangelis Theodoropoulos, inked the MOU in a meeting at Tehran’s City Theater Complex, which is currently hosting performances from the Fajr festival.

The MOU will provide guidelines for effective mutual cooperation between the two events in the future. 

Plans to stage plays by famous Greek directors at the Fajr annual festival was also discussed at the meeting.

Theodoropoulos called the MOU a valuable document and said that it is an honor to expand relations with Iran.

He pointed to “From the Basement to the Roof”, a play staged by female Iranian director Afsaneh Mahian at the Athens and Epidaurus Festival in 2017, and said that women play major roles and are very active in contemporary Iranian dramatic art.

Greece is participating most actively in this year’s Fajr festival. Plefsis, major troupe from the country, is scheduled to perform “Blue Line” at Hafez Hall on Saturday and Sunday.

In addition, the renowned theater theorist Georgina Kakoudaki, director Katerina Evangelatos, choreographer Patricia Apergi and lighting designer Vasilis Apostolatos are in Tehran to hold workshops at the festival.

The 36th Fajr International Theater Festival, which opened on January 18, will be running until January 29.

Photo: Organizers of Iran’s Fajr International Theater Festival and the Athens and Epidaurus Festival pose after signing a memorandum of understanding at Tehran’s City Theater Complex on January 23, 2018. (ISNA)

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