TEHRAN – A new Persian translation of William Shakespeare’s comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” has been published in Tehran.

Saless is the publisher of the play translated by Foad Naziri. 

Written between 1595 and 1596, the play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. 

One subplot involves a conflict among four Athenian lovers. Another follows a group of six amateur actors rehearsing the play that they are to perform before the wedding. 

Both groups find themselves in a forest inhabited by fairies who manipulate the humans and are engaged in their own domestic intrigue. 

The play is one of Shakespeare’s most popular and is widely performed.

Numerous Iranian troupes have performed the play, one of the latest was by a group directed by Amin Zendegani at Tehran’s Iranshahr Theater Complex in January.

Mostafa Kushki staged the play and “Coriolanus”, Shakespeare’s other play, at the Tehran Independent Theater in summer 2019.

His troupe also performed the play in Gyula, Hungary in 2019 during the Gyula Shakespeare Festival.

The weeklong festival is part of a six-week all-arts festival, featuring the performances of historical dramas, different forms of contemporary theater, opera, ballet, modern dance, jazz, blues, puppet shows, classical music, folk music and folk dance.

Photo: Front cover of the Persian edition of William Shakespeare’s comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.

MMS/YAW