THE EVOLUTION OF TRADITIONAL THEATRE AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN THEATRE IN IRAN by Iraj Emami Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Arts, for The Degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Edinburgh September 1987 To Husayn Ali Zadeh, Muhammad Reza Lutfi and Muhammad Reza Shajarian. ABSTRACT This thesis seeks to describe and analyse the evolution of traditional theatre in Iran and its development towards occidental and modern theatre, up to the Revolution of 1979. The introductory chapter consists of a brief historical background to the Persian theatre and a discussion of its roots. Chapter II examines the origin of popular theatrical forms in Iran and its development from such popular narrative forms such as story-telling, poetic recitation, oratorical contest, public amusements and puppet theatre. Chapter III concerns Taziya, the passion play of Iran, the most famous and influential form of theatre in the nineteenth century. Taziya's origin, form, music and all related forms of traditional drama have been examined in this chapter. Chapter IV focuses on the evolution of Taqlid and its developed form, Takht-i-Hawzi, the popular Iranian comedy. Chapter V looks at the development of theatre in Iran during the Qajar era when both comic and tragic theatre, or Takht-i Hawzi and Taziya grew in two opposite directions and the first direct steps towards the evolution of a written text for the performance of occidental theatre were taken. Chapter VI ;s a survey of the formation of modern theatre in Iran and the role of education in its development. Also the impact of western culture on this evolution is examined. Chapter VII focuses on the pre-revolutionary Iranian theatre under the later period of the rule of M.R. Shall and its censorship. This chapter looks at the cultural conditions and forms of protest against government pressure. As an appendix to the Thesis there is a translation of the contemporary Iranian play "A Dog in the Harvest Place" by N. Navidi. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page L1ST OF PLATES............................................. (i) TRANSLITERATION ...•••....•.••••.•.•.•.•.•..•..••...••...•.. (ii) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS........................................... (iii) CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER ......................... 1 CHAPTER II POPULAR TRADITION AND ITS INFLUENCE ON IRANIAN THEATRE............................... 17 -- Naqqa 1 i . 18 Shahnama Khwani...............................- 28 Zurkhana......................................- - 31 Sukhan-vari...................................- 31 Marlka-glrl...................................'. -:-: 34 Shamayi 1 Gardani.............................. 35 Shahr-i-Farang................................. 38 Khayma-shab-bazi............................... 40 , CHAPTER III A BRIEF SURVEY OF TAZIYA (PERSIAN TRADITIONAL DRAMA) Traditional and Western Influence of Drama on the Qajar Period.............................. 47 Naqqa11 and its relation with Shabih-Khwan1... 54 Mawlud1, The Bride of the Qura1sh(or The Bride of Bilq;s).................................... 56 Muharram Commemorations....................... 57 Rawza -Khwa ni. 58 Nawheh-Khwani- - .................•... : : . ~ . 58 Traditional Music in Iran and its Relation with Iranian Traditional Theatre ....•...• ~ 60 Persian Traditional Music ...........••. ~.:~ 64 Persian Traditional Instruments............ 65 A Glance at the technical aspects of Iranian Traditional Music.......................... 65 How music is put to use in Ta'ziya......... 71 CHAPTER IV THE EVOLUTION OF TAQLID AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF IRANIAN TRADITIONAL THEATRE (Takht-i-Hawii or Ru Hawii,) ............... ~ 77 The movement of Taq1id- towards Iranian Comedy Thea tre. 83 Improvisation ...•................ :......... 90 Scenery. 98 Lighting................................... 99 Mu sic. • . 100 l Women's theatre or 'theatrica1 games :..... 103 CHAPTER V THE QAJAR PERIOD A NEW BEGINNING.............. 113 The New School. Discussion of Akhund Zadeh and Mirza Agha Tabrizi ................. ~~.. 127 ~ - Azarbaijani Writers........................ 134 CHAPTER VI THE INFLUENCE OF WESTERN THEATRICAL THEORY FROM 1905........................... 137 The role of Education in the development of theatre in Iran............................ 137 Sazman-i Parvarish-i Afkar.................. 140 Nushin's Drama Class....................... 145 Anahita Open Faculty of Acting............. 146 The Faculty of Dramatic Arts............... 147 The Faculty of Theatre..................... 148 Faculty of Fine Arts....................... 148 University Theatre......................... 148 The Impact of the Western School on Iranian theatre............................ 150 Governmental theatre....................... 155 The first step towards a national theatre.. 158 Governmental Groups........................ 168 CHAPTER VII THEATRE UNDER THE CENSORSHIP............... 170 The impact of the Theatre of the Absurd on Iranian Theatre.................. 188 Festival of Popular Tradition.............. 194 Festival of Tus, 1975-1978................. 194 The impact of Theatrical Activities of the Marxist-Socialist School on the Development of Iranian Theatre ..... 195 Contempory Iranian Playwrights .•.•..•..•... 204 - Bahram- Bayza. i .....•...........•...•...•.... 205 - Akbar Radi- ................................ 206 Bizhan Mu f; d •••....•.•••••••.••••.••••..•.••.. 206 ... Nusrat Allah Navidi-- ...•..•.•................•. 207 Guruh-i-Hunar-i Mi11i (the National Arts Group)................................... 208 The Ja'fari Group............................. 220 Tiatr-i Anahi ta (the Anahi tIl Theatre)......... 221 Anjuman-i-tiatr-i Iran (the Iranian Theatre Association).......................... 229 CONCLUSION. • • . • • • • • • . • . • • • • . • . • . • • • • • • . • • • . • • . • • • • • . 231 APPEND I X. • • • . • • • • . • • • • . • • . • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • . • • • • 235 BIBLIOGRAPHy......... ..........•.............. ....... ... 272 LIST OF PLATES 1 • Sadiq Ali Shah, The Famous Iranian Naqqal. 2. A Painting, Parda, (Shamayil). 3. Shahr-i-Farang. ( 4. An Actor Acting in Taz;ya. 5. A Group of Taziya Actors. 6. A Group of Musicians Playing in Taziya. - 7. Jafar Vali and Fakhri Khurvash, in Amir Arsalan, A Ru-Hawzi Play. 8. Kamancha, Tar and Tunbak, Instruments used in Ru-Hawii~ 9. A View of Takiyya-yi- Dawlat, (Tehran). ( i ) TRANSLITERATION The system used for transliterating Persian is that used by the Department of Arabic at Edinburgh University. ( i i ) • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A deep appreciation is expressed to my Supervisor Dr. G.R. Sabrf~Tabrizi who inspired and helped me during my years of education at Edinburgh University. I have a particular gratitude for Dr. M. MacDonal d for hi s careful readi ng through of the vari ous drafts of this thesis and his generous advice and guidance. I thank Miss Crawford, the Department Secretary, who gave considerable assistance. I express a special appreciation to my parents and my brothers, whose help was of inestimable value. I would like to thank Miss Christine Barnard for reproofing the manuscript. I thank very much Mrs Valerie Haemsirirat who very carefully typed this thesis. - Last but not least I would like to thank Mr Khalil Dilmagani- and Mr Abbas Javanmard for their assistance in providing me with some documents about Iranian contempory theatre. ( iii) CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER Iranian history has undergone many changes, both socially and politically affecting both the lives of its people and their outlooks. Art, and in particular the performance arts, which have, by their very nature been a reflection of social consciousness, has as a result been vunerab1e to the ravages of time and social change in Iran. In a study of Persian drama it is therefore necessary to assess its development within the context of social structure changes which Iran has undergone. The principal performance art, drama, has been greatly influenced by a wide range of events in Persian history, and in order to appreciate it one must have comprehensive knowledge of Persian history and its role in the evolution of Persian theatre and the development of modern drama in Iran. Although there are not enough facts and documents available to prove the existence of the theatre form as we know it from Ancient Greece to Ancient Iran, we know that the Aryan people had their own customs and fascinating rituals which were employed in certain festivals as well as in their entertainments. These ritual forms and festival s evolved into various theatrical forms and dramatic performances. A survey of theatrical forms and the dramatic arts in the Ancient World requires research into different religions and ritual customs, and this will give us certain ideas about the roots of this form in I ran. Around 540 B. C., Wi shtaspa, a mi nor king of Khorasan (or Si stan) we1 comed Zoroaster to hi s court. [1 J Zoraster was a sage who preached that the Mazdaist religion should adopt a more [lJ Jean Varenne, Zarathustre, Cit. Jean Hureau, Iran Today.Iran National Tourist Organisation, 1972. P. 86. - 1 - spiritual approach. The King became a convert, and Mazdaism spread gradually to the whole of Iran. An important and almost immediate development was the adhesi on of the Magi to thi s al most doctri nal rel i gi on. The Magi were bel i eved to be an Aryan tri be that had settled in the North-West of Iran, and were eventually to be identified with Mazdaism. May be at the beginning they were not exclusively devoted to the rite, but they soon became so, spent all their time