TEHRAN -- The reference book on Iran’s traditional plays “Taqlidnameh” compiled by Davud Fat’halibeigi was introduced during a ceremony at Sangelaj Theater Hall on Tuesday that was attended by officials from the UNESCO office in Tehran.

The book has been compiled based on rare manuscripts of Iran’s theater, providing the opportunity for the younger generation to become acquainted with the traditional plays of their country, said Fat’halibeigi at the ceremony.
Published by Qatreh Publications, the book contains three plays; “Love and Youth” penned by Seyyed Ali Khan Mortazavi, “Operetta of Neirang-o-Orang” (an adaptation of Moliere’s The Scam’s of Scapin) compiled by Hashem Khan Shafe and “Naaim-o-Naam” by Mohammad Khan Afshar.
Author and researcher Laleh Taqian, also among the guests at the ceremony, spoke briefly saying that the manuscripts compiled in the book are rare and precious.
“Research into Iran’s theater has been ignored. Having access to source documents is of prime importance when conducting research, since there are many hazy and unclear points in the history of Iranian theater that documents can be of great help in illuminating.
“We have begun to collect documents on theater such as playwrights and old books since 1984 and it is important for researchers and students to know where these documents can be located,” she explained.
She referred to Fat’halibeigi as an influential figure in Iran’s art of theater and continued, “He established the association of traditional and ritual plays, and collected the related documents as a source for youth.”
“A copy of each play was preserved at Police Headquarters before the Islamic Revolution, and the entire collection was handed over to the Theater Office. The archive is now kept in the library of the City Theater Complex,” Fat’halibeigi next stated.
On the reason behind publishing such a book, he said, “One of the main reasons for publishing ‘Taqlidnameh’ was to document the traditional Iranian play siah-bazi and the methods veteran actors employed in playing their roles. The history of theater is a collection of experiences that we need for further development.”
Siah-bazi is a type of folk play featuring a black-faced harlequin who stirs the audience to laughter with amusing improvisations.