TEHRAN -- Iran’s Women’s Theater Festival will be turning into an international event next year, said Director of the Art and Cultural Organization of Tehran Municipality Mohammad-Javad Shushtari.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 8th edition of the festival held at the Soleimani Complex in downtown Tehran on Thursday, Shushtari announced that the organization is establishing the secretariat for the ninth edition of the festival, which will target an international presence.
He added that the organization is planning to promote theater in all of Tehran’s districts through construction of cultural complexes and theaters.
“Ignorance by officials has distanced Tehran’s citizens from the theatrical arts. By increasing the number of theaters, we can help bridge this gap and turn theater into an art available for everyone.
Afterwards, the ceremony continued with performances of live music, and several acts from the two plays “Lady of Iran’s Land” and “Abji Khanom’s Marriage Proposal”.
Veteran theatrical personalities Behruz Gharibpur, Ali-Akbar Qazinezam, Shamsi Fazlollahi, Manijeh Mahamedi and Javad Ensafi were among the participating guests.
Several street and stage theater troupes also went on stage during the second and third days of the program. “Body of the Woman…” by Hamed Zare’an, “A Bridge Made of Glass” by Milad Mohammadi, “The Bowl” by Amir-Hossein Shafiei, “Sohrab and Gordafarid” by Anahita Kashef were among the onstage plays.
The festival will run until November 28 in a number of Tehran’s theaters and cultural centers.