TEHRAN -- Iranian culture minister said on Thursday that integrity and devotion to Imam Hussein (AS) is deeply ingrained in the nation and theater groups have been doing their best to represent Ashura enthusiastically.

Speaking at the third Ashura Rites Meeting closing gala at Tehran’s City Theater Complex, Mohammad-Hossein Saffar Harandi added that everybody is restless in Muharram to express their distress over the martyrdom of the third Imam Hussein (AS) and his 72 loyal companions. Veteran stage directors Atila Pesiani, Siavash Tahmures, Javad Hashemi, and Maryam Motaref were honored and the jury announced the winners as follow:

Best music: Shahram Shadanfar for the play “Just the Sky Knows”, Mehdi Hassani for “Hesitation Tragedy”, and Behrang Baqaii for “Alive Thought, Dead Speech”.

Best stage design: Meisam Mahan for “Minu Plain”, Sirus Kahurinejad for “Name Shrine”, Mojgan Eivazi for “Fate”, and Abdollah Barjesteh for “Hesitation Tragedy”.

Best actress: Nadia Faraji for “Fate” and “Name Shrine” and Tina Meisami for “Conscience Never Dies”.

Best actor: Ammar Tafti for “Minu Plain”, Khosro Shahraz for “Always Strangers”, Reza Gilanipur for “Alive Thought, Dead Speech”, and Arash Tabrizi for “Hesitation Tragedy”.

Best play: Hamid Ebrahimi for “Alive Thought, Dead Speech”, Reza Saberi for “Hesitation Tragedy”, and Atefeh Moeini for “Minu Plain”. Best director: Reza Saberi for “Hesitation Tragedy”, Hamid Ebrahimi for “Alive Thought, Dead Speech”, and Sirus Hemmati for “Passengers”