Gentle Streams Suddenly Run Dry
Q. How did you start your artistic career?
A. In 1989, I started work as a theater critic and my first play, entitled ***Tomorrow Is Late****, directed by A'zam Boroujerdi, was staged.
Q. When did you direct your first play?
A. In 1994 I directed ***Friday at Sunset****, which was staged at the Fajr Theater Festival. The actors were Shabnam Tolouei and Kourosh Tahami. It was considered a postmodern work. Then in 1995, I won first prize as playwright of ****Burnt Red**** which I also directed.
Q. What kind of themes do use in your plays?
A. I write two kinds of play. One kind is realistic and psychological, usually about human relationships and their place in the world. Another type is derived from fiction, myths of Iran and the rest of the world, and making them contemporary myths, among which are ***Burnt Red***, ****Red Dress Woman****, *** Juggling and Magic****, and *** Long Time Little Girl***.
Q. In what other fields are you active?
A. I have translated poetry, a novel, and a play. I like the works of Exoperri and the anthology of the world's love poems "Small Blue of Love" and the novel "Island Tales."
Q. What play do you currently have on the stage?
A. *** Bride Hotel *** which is a based on the text of ***Brides of Fire**** and won the prize at the Women's Theater Festival in 1995, but was never staged again. But then Sima Tir-Andaz worked on the play and changed its name so that it would not be confused with ***Bride of Fire **** directed by Khosro Sinaei. She changed the ending of the play. I am satisfied with the performances, although I wanted its ending to be the same as the original text.
Q. How do you evaluate the status of playwrights and theater in Iran?
A. Plays are new in Iran and mostly popular in academic circles. We should not expect them to be as popular as stories and poetry. I can compare the status of playwrights to a sapling which has just begun to grow and lay down its roots but has not grown into a tree yet. We can hear its whispering from under the earth. However, the situation is hopeful, for we see the tree is spreading its roots.
Q. What is your opinion of the role of festivals?
A. Festivals are the only places for theater groups to perform on stage. Festivals are like gentle streams, but then suddenly they run dry for a year. If the festivals were only held to give prizes, they would not be enjoyable. Unfortunately, the plays which win prizes are copied the next year, and this discourages creativity.
Q. What is your latest work?
A. Now, I am working on the *** Secret of Fence Lady***. It is an adaptation of one of the stories of Nezami Ganjavi's "Haft Peikar." It is the story of a woman's isolation. It is a glance at contemporary society. I will direct this play which is going to be staged at the Third International Festival of Iranian Theater.