TEHRAN – The lobby of the Main Hall of the City Theater in Tehran hosted a cultural event titled “Iran. Theater. City Theater” on Monday afternoon, bringing together a large group of artists and cultural officials to express solidarity and commemorate those affected by the recent conflict.

The ceremony was attended by high-ranking officials including Mehdi Shafiei, the Deputy Culture Minister for Artistic Affairs; Reza Mardani, Director General of the Performing Arts Center; Saeed Asadi, Managing Director of the Association of Performing Arts; and Kourosh Soleimani, the Director of the City Theater Complex, Mehr reported. 

The event opened with a musical performance by Mohammad Fereshtehnejad, followed by a moving testimony from Soheila Javadi, the widow of the late actor Ali Soleimani. She shared a report-style account detailing the extensive damage caused to her residence during the recent aggression, representing the struggles of many in the artistic community.

Following a collective rendition of the patriotic anthem “Ey Iran,” the program paid tribute to the thespians who passed away over the last year through a memorial video clip. Later, actor Mehrdad Ziaei took the stage to deliver an epic, heroic performance centered on the themes of national identity and the historical significance of the City Theater, which drew an emotional response from the audience.

A major portion of the evening was dedicated to the memory of the martyred children of the Shajareh Tayyebah school in Minab, who lost their lives in the recent strikes by the Zionist regime and US forces. Fereshtehnejad performed a dedicated musical piece for the young victims, accompanied by a video featuring the voice of renowned singer Roozbeh Bemani.

In the closing segment, the host of the event, Alireza Saeidi, read out a list of prominent artists whose homes were damaged or destroyed during the Ramadan War attacks. The list included names such as Kourosh Narimani, Behnam Tashakor, Jalal Tajangi, Maral Farjad, Vahid Lak, Hamid Goli, and Hormoz Hedayat, among others.

The event concluded with a formal dedication to the martyred children of Minab, emphasizing the theater community's resilience and its role in reflecting the nation’s grievances and endurance during times of war.

SAB/