 |
| "Antigone" Play - Tabriz, December 2015 |
The staging of world-renowned playwrights' works in the Turkish language in Tabriz has recently sparked widespread public interest in theater. Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency, which published a detailed report on this topic, notes that a historic period is unfolding in the theater scene of Tabriz.
In recent years, thousands of spectators have had the opportunity to watch the works of famous European playwrights such as Molière, Eugène Ionesco, and Jean Anouilh performed in Turkish on Tabriz stages.
According to Mehr, "Staging plays in the mother tongue attracts audiences of different age groups. Today can be considered a historic period for Tabriz, as various plays are being performed daily in different theaters across the city, drawing significant public attention."
"There is a misconception that only satirical plays can be performed in Turkish. However, the staging of valuable world classics has proven that audiences are also interested in watching serious works in their native language," said director Ali Puriyan in an interview with the news agency.
Based on the report, plays such as Robinson Crusoe, Antigone, The Mournful Widows of the War Chief, Granny Insi, The Epic of Sattar Khan, The Embassy, The Forced Doctor, and The Bear have recently been performed in Turkish in Tabriz, along with several children's plays.
"However, another noteworthy issue is the lack of local plays... The increasing number of students pursuing higher education in theater and the overall improvement of conditions have facilitated the staging of Turkish-language plays. Now is the time for local playwrights to intensify their efforts and create a foundation for the performance of original Turkish-language plays as well," the Mehr report states.
Currently, the play Uncle Papil is also being performed in Turkish at the Urmia Art and Culture Complex.
Link to the original texts in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Türkcə tamaşalar Təbrizdə teatr sənətinə rəğbəti artırıb