Rahpooye Honar/Performing Arts

Rahpooye Honar/Performing Arts

The contribution of artists to the establishment of Private Theatre in Iran with a focus on The second Pahlavi period

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 PhD student of theater studies, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
This paper examines the characteristics of private theatre and its differences from non-private theatre, focusing on the formation and operation of theatre groups during the second Pahlavi period in Iran. The study reveals that during the first decade of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's monarchy (before the 1953 coup), attempts were to privatize theatre, similar to efforts made during the Persian Constitutional Revolution. Independent political parties or groups formed and managed theatre groups to inform and educate the public. However, as soon as the government realized the impact of theatre on society, it began to use theatre as a tool for its purposes. Thus, this paper seeks to answer two main questions: 1) How did private theatre develop in Iran? 2) What were the reasons for restricting the privatization of theatre during the Second Pahlavi period? By analyzing the activities of theatre groups during four specific decades of the Second Pahlavi period, the paper concludes that governmental restrictions were not the sole reason for the failure of private theatre. Rather, the support of artists and theatre managers for these restrictions played a significant role in the failure of private theatre.
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  • Receive Date 06 December 2023
  • Revise Date 30 January 2024
  • Accept Date 16 February 2024