Grotowski in Iran

Masoud Najafi Ardabili

Grotowski in Iran

by Masoud Najafi Ardabili (Author)
©2019, Monographs, 158 Pages
The Arts

Series: Interdisciplinary Studies in Performance, Volume 17

Jerzy Grotowski and the «Laboratory Theatre» presented his famous performance «The Constant Prince» to Iranian audiences in 1970 during the Shiraz Art Festival and in Teheran. Jerzy Grotowski travelled to Iran four times and his fifth journey, which was supposed to include «Apocalypsis Cum Figuris» as well as «Desert Project» had been thoroughly planned but never happened.

Although Grotowski had not talked too much about his travels to Iran, his influence on Iranian artists during three generations is quite obvious.

The author gathered many documents and conducted interviews for this in-depth study pursuing the fundamental questions of his research: How was Grotowski’s work received in Iran and in what way did he influence theatre artists in Iran?

Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication Page
Foreword
About the author
About the book
Citability of the eBook
Contents
Introduction
- Methodology
- Research Difficulties
1 Reconstruction
- 1.1 Art Management in Iran
- 1.2 The Toudeh Party
- 1.3 Leftist Artists
- 1.4 Leftism in Theatre 1941–1983
- 1.5 The Shah and Socialists
- 1.6 Shahbanu, the Art Developer
- 1.7 Non-socialist Festival
  - 1.7.1 Why Shiraz?
  - 1.7.2 The Goal Beyond the Festival
  - 1.7.3 The Shiraz Art Festival
  - 1.7.4 Theatre
- 1.8 The Fourth Shiraz Art Festival
  - 1.8.1 Theatre and Ritual
  - 1.8.2 Festival Programme
  - 1.8.3 Inviting Grotowski
- 1.9 Spring, the First Journey
  - 1.9.1 Visiting Kargah-e Nemayesh
  - 1.9.2 Towards a Poor Theatre
  - 1.9.3 Second Translation
- 1.10 Summer, the Shiraz Art Festival
  - 1.10.1 The Symposium
  - 1.10.2 Grotowski’s Guides
  - 1.10.3 Delgosha Garden
  - 1.10.4 Audience Selection
  - 1.10.5 The Constant Prince in Shiraz
  - 1.10.6 Peripheral Events
  - 1.10.7 Film Screening
  - 1.10.8 Meeting Shahbanu
  - 1.10.9 Travel to Kurdistan
- 1.11 Autumn, the Third Journey
  - 1.11.1 Returning to Iran
  - 1.11.2 Ferdows Garden in Tehran
  - 1.11.3 Tehran University Speech
  - 1.11.4 Interrupted Speech
- 1.12 Winter, the Fourth Expedition
  - 1.12.1 The Wind of Jinn
  - 1.12.2 Taghvai’s Invitation
- 1.13 Desert Project
- 1.14 Appendix: Documents
2 Receptance
- 2.1 Research Methodology and Difficulties
- 2.2 Shiraz Art Festival Influence
- 2.3 Grotowski’s Influence
  - 2.3.1 The Impressive Persona
  - 2.3.2 Not Impressive Persona
  - 2.3.3 The Constant Prince
- 2.4 Towards a Poor Theatre
- 2.5 Different Interpretations
- 2.6 Tehran University
  - 2.6.1 Opposition
  - 2.6.2 Opposition to Grotowski
  - 2.6.3 Opinions on Grotowski
- 2.7 The Press
- 2.8 Conclusion
- 2.9 Appendix Chapter Two: Saeed Soltanpour2
3 The Influence
- 3.1 Ashurbanipal Babla and Ahreman Theatre (1973–1978)
  - 3.1.1 Research Method and Difficulties
  - 3.1.2 Preface
  - 3.1.3 Beginning: From Tehran to Beirut
  - 3.1.4 Transformation: Meeting Grotowski
  - 3.1.5 From the Heaven to Earth
  - 3.1.6 Expansion: Kargah-eNemayesh
  - 3.1.7 Out of Theatre
  - 3.1.8 Receptance
    - 3.1.8.1 The First Category: Leftists as Opponents
    - 3.1.8.2 The Second Category: Proponents of Kargah-e Nemayesh
    - 3.1.8.3 The Third Category: The Generation After the 1979 Revolution
  - 3.1.9 The End of His Career
  - 3.1.10 Death
  - 3.1.11 Appendix: Chronology of Ahreman Theatre (1973–1978)
- 3.2 Hamed Mohammad Taheri and the Black Narcissus Theatre (1997–2005)
  - 3.2.1 Research Difficulties
  - 3.2.2 Research Methodology
  - 3.2.3 The Beginning
  - 3.2.4 From Literature to Theatre
  - 3.2.5 The Summer’s Kid
  - 3.2.6 Antigone
  - 3.2.7 Transformation
  - 3.2.8 Rehearsing and Preparing The Blacks
    - 3.2.8.1 The Blacks: The First Version
    - 3.2.8.2 The Receptance
    - 3.2.8.3 The Blacks: Second Version
    - 3.2.8.4 The Blacks: Theatre-Gallery
  - 3.2.9 The Black Narcissus Collapse
- 3.3 Afshin Ghaffarian and Tantalos Theatre (2005–2009)
  - 3.3.1 Prologue
  - 3.3.2 Wanderings
  - 3.3.3 Transformation
  - 3.3.4 Transformation Through The Poor Theatre
  - 3.3.5 Tantalos Student Theatre
  - 3.3.6 Cat Exercise
  - 3.3.7 Approach
  - 3.3.8 Medea
    - 3.3.8.1 Formation of the Structure of Medea
    - 3.3.8.2 Performing Medea
    - 3.3.8.3 Receptance
  - 3.3.9 Practical Final Project
    - 3.3.9.1 Energy, Body and Actor’s Presence
    - 3.3.9.2 Thesis: At Work with Grotowski on Physical Actions
    - 3.3.10 Epilogue
Conclusion
List of Figures
Bibliography
Index

Pages:

158

Year:

2019

ISBN (HARDBACK):

9783631772768 (Active)

ISBN (EPUB):

9783631781791 (Active)

ISBN (PDF):

9783631781784 (Active)

DOI:

10.3726/b15282

Language:

English

Keywords:

Theatre, Theatre Laboratory, The Shiraz Art Festival, Iran Theatre, Theatre History

Published:

Berlin, Bern, Bruxelles, New York, Oxford, Warszawa, Wien, 2019. 158 S., 7 farb. Abb., 38 s/w Abb., 1 farb. Graf.

Masoud Najafi Ardabili graduated in Theatre Studies in Teheran. He continued his studies in Poland and holds a Ph.D in Cultural Studies from Wroclaw University. He is a specialist in the field of Polish Alternative Theatre and spent a decade studying Grotowski and his heritage in theatre and culture.

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Grotowski in Iran

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