Iranian Theater Propagates Shiism

Firdausi's Shah-Namah and other works of Persian poets like Nizami as well as historical writings on Bukhara, indicate that heroic, amorous and wandering minstrels after the Islamic conquest of Persia until the era of the Safavid Dynasty enacted entertainment themes. This dramatic from coincided with the appearance of the puppet theater, which was first introduced to Persia also in the reign of King Bahram V. But this latter form of theater was not developed because it was considered a sort of mob entertainment.

The appearance of the characteristic dramatic form of Persia known as the Condolence Theater, in essence an expiation ritual, coincided with the emergence of Shiism. According to Ibn Kathir, it appeared in the reign of Muiz Al-Dawla Ahmed Ibn Buwaih Al-Deilami in 963 (352 H., i.e., in Muslim calendar system). As soon as the Safavid Dynasty was established in Persia in 1501 (906 H.) and the Shiism of the Twelvers adopted as the official sect, the State took interest in theater as a tool of propagating Shiism.

The roots of modern theater in Iran go back to the mid Safavid era when comic plays were performed to mimic rural simpletons and eccentrics in Persian society. Gradually, the plays were packed with simple and episodic plots and tended to focus on characters that could be found in real life in the society. This form of art was first associated with the court but was then transferred to the houses of the nobles and the rich in the era of Naser Al-Din Shah of Qajar. Later, it also thrived in public cafés and became known as the café-theater.

Persian scholars who studied in Europe and returned home began to translate Western plays, which were performed in newly opened theaters in Iran. The earliest of these theaters was the theater of the School of Arts, which was built by a Decree of Naser Al-Din Shah. Small theater companies then began to appear, like the Theatrical Culture Company, which staged shows in public parks. The National Theater was established in 1913. Writers began to write articles on the theater, which attracted the attention of the public and state officials. Sayyed Ali Nasr, following his return from Europe, secured a license from the then Ministry of Education and established the Iranian Comic Theater. This was the first theater proper in Iran. It presented two plays a month at the auditorium of the Grand Hotel, and was the first to allow women into the acting profession. The Cultural Education Institution, which appeared in 1919, created a theater department that started the first real acting school in Iran with curricula based on the Paris Conservatory modules.

Radical Changes
Following World War II, radical changes happened in the Iranian theater. Writing and translating plays became a flourishing activity and good theater groups were created. With the appearance of television in Iran, there was more interest in theater. The Iranian television service created the Department of Dramatic Arts with its own theater, which starred well-educated actors and university graduates. As the Ministry of Culture and Arts was established in 1964, a school for theatrical and cinematic arts was created. The Tehran University established its School of Fine Arts, which had a Theater Department. The Ministry of Culture and Arts also established a number of theaters in Tehran and some of the provinces in the country. The Opera House was opened in 1967. Television was one of the main factors which helped spread theater culture in Iran.

Iran joined the International Theater Center following its establishment in 1961. It also established the National Centre for Theater, a UNESCO affiliate. Iranian universities became interested in theater as drama was taught in the faculties of arts and schools of fine arts. Various faculties and schools had their own theater groups, which performed local and international dramas.

The Islamic Republic did not ignore theater, but considered it a valid tool for promoting the ideology of the Islamic revolution and educating the public on the orientation of the regime. It provided the necessary facilities for developing theater and encouraged writers to produce works in line with Islamic culture. Interest has been also paid to traditional and experimental theater and to Children's Theater, which developed significantly to an international award-winning level.

Condolence Theater… A Mark of National Identity
The Condolence drama has been one of the main features of the Iranian theater throughout its history. It combines aspects of fine dramatic art with national and sectarian themes. State officials therefore continuously support it. It wins an increasingly interested audience and continues to be developed earnestly by dramatic artists in Iran. Since its inception in the Safavid era, this form of theater has expressed the national character of the Persian (later Iranian) people as much as it expressed the beliefs of Shiism, particularly those pertinent to the death of Al-Hussein in Karbala.
Condolence Theater is one of the earliest dramatic forms, specifically the earliest form of tragedy, in Iran. It emerged as simple performances in streets and public squares. According to Dr. Hussein Mujeeb, the month of Al-Muharram (the first month in the Muslim calendar) is often marked by great commotion in Iran. Arrangements are ardently made for the expiatory condolence-offering ceremony. Yards are prepared. Marquees are set up in streets and public squares to reenact the killing of Al-Hussein Ibn Ali Ibn Abi Talib (may God be pleased with both). The event is usually funded by the well off and the devout. The ceremony starts on the eighth day of Al-Muharram. The audience gathers in a huge marquee all dressed in black, not wearing jewelry, perfumes or any kind of ornament whatsoever. Candles cast a pale light. Silence reigns supreme, and may be only interrupted by sighs or whispers.

Cafés that were sometimes used to perform plays on this occasion have been well described by Nasr Allah Falsafi. They were remarkably spacious. The walls were whitewashed. Doors opened on the four sides of the place. In the corners special arrangements were made for kings, princes and state dignitaries. There were no seats. Floor coverings were provided all over for the audience to sit on. At night, lamps suspended from the ceiling sent a pale light reflected on the surface of the water of a large fountain overflowing with water in the middle of the café. The stage was made of wooden desks arranged in the middle of the café.

The ritual typically begins with a bard taking the floor to recite the story of the martyrdom of Al-Hussein in a deep awe-inspiring voice that moves the audience to tears. Cotton pads are passed around for the crying audience to dry their tears and squeeze the pads into a flask, which keeps going around until it becomes full. (Iranian people believe that the content of this flask may heal wounds). The audience keeps heaving sighs of sorrow, while pounding their bosoms rhythmically following the tunes of a singing minstrel.

The acting part starts with a bare-breasted actor appearing on stage with a truncheon dangling from his waist. Another similarly dressed actor appears. The two are followed by a man bent under the heavy weight of a water bag he carries on his shoulders, a symbol of Al-Hussein's death as a result of thirst. Eight men then bring a coffin onto the stage. It is often adorned with precious stones at the front and an exquisite sparkling star-shaped gem on top. The coffin is called the "Prophet's Tomb." Four finely adorned horses are then led across the stage, followed by men in blood-stained white shirts wailing at the top of their voices to represent the followers of Al-Hussein who were killed while trying to protect him.

Presently, a white horse appears with a black saddle on its back representing the horse that Al-Hussein rode at Karbala. At this moment wailing and lamentation become loudest. The audience falls into tears as Al-Hussein, his wives and relatives appear on stage. Al-Hussein is then laid dead, overcome by his killers. The audience become overwhelmed and starts to shout in dismay at the performers as the line between reality and imagination becomes blurred. They virtually relive the moment of Al-Hussein's death. They may start to stone the actor-killers before the latter flee the scene. Actors are often reluctant to take the part of the killers because they fear the unchecked reaction of the audience, which could sometimes have dire consequences. In this ritual scene, the fire of Karbala is staged by setting fire to a few huts of hay. Bodies and remains of martyrs are shown while performers dig holes in the ground to bury their bodies. But what is different about the burials is that the martyrs' bodies are buried except for their head or a limb. By doing so, this represents the headless bodies and bodiless heads, which are scattered across the gruesome scene of the massacre

 Dr.Mohamed Al-Saeed Abdul Mo'men, Egyptian author and academic, Professor of Iranian Studies, `Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.