A Golden Page of “Mashhad Theater History”

By Gholamreza Azari Khakestar
Translator: Asghar Aboutorabi

2015-8-10

“History of Mashhad Theater from Constitutional to Islamic Revolutions” by Ali Najafzadeh is the latest book on Mashhad. It was published in October 2014 by Ansar publications in 440 pages.

The history of Mashhad Theater in its recent form goes back to mid Qajar era. Ali Najafzadeh, history researcher and instructor, in the prologue of his recent work has explained the entrance of new theater background to Mashhad. After Constitutional Revolution the conditions were prepared for the performance of theater plays besides religious and ceremonial plays like Ro-Howzi. The presence of Russian citizens had an important role in forming new theaters. Caucasian immigrants, through forming the groups of Havaskaran, played an especial and active role in performance and expansion of theaters. After Qajar and during the emergence of Pahlavi regime the political situations for Iranian immigrants changed and many had to return to Iran and Mashhad. Although the circumstances for playing were not favorable, this generation of immigrants and their children had an important role in Mashhad Theater after August 1941.

The writer reviews the role of different groups in Mashhad Theater and refers to the valuable role of Azarbayjan immigrants and Russian and English consulates and also inauguration of Mashhad radio in strengthening the theater in this city.

History academic investigations try to pay full attention to resources in their researches and review all aspects of the subject before writing a book. You can find seven groups of resources in the present work:

1- General Resources: The writer has used public books to complete his investigations upon his research needs.

2- Expert Resources: Resorting to numerous professional resources is a sign of writer’s efforts in documenting this work.

3- Oral History: Paying no serious attention to oral history and the memories of active players of Mashhad Theater can be considered as one of the disadvantages of the present work. The writer has made little profit of interviews. Interviews with four theater artist like Mohammad Ali Lotfi Moghadam, Haj Hossein Ameli, Teymoor Ghahraman and [Mr.] Shahnaz Mobasher are among oral history resources in this book.

4- The Press: The information of the book is mostly derived from notes, advertisements, news and critique that have been printed in Mashhad newspapers. The press resources have a completing role in an independent research beside other resources, documents and oral history and can help in identifying the historical places, dates and names in contemporary history investigations.

5- Documents: Few available documents about Mashhad Theater are among other resources Najafzadeh had utilized in composing his work.

6- Articles: Citing from the articles written by figures like Ali Nassirian, Aliakbar Kowsari, Mahdi Gharavi, Neiayesh Pourhossein and Shoeleh Pakravan is among the other resources used.

7- And finally parts of the information presented in this book are derived from websites, which is an indication of the writer’s effort to use all resources.

The writer in the introduction of History of Mashhad Theater reviews the investigations performed on theater in this city and the challenges and obstacles of expansion of theater in Qajar era. He has divided the book into five parts as follow: Mashhad Theater from Constitutional Revolution to August 1941; Mashhad Theater development since August 1941 to 1949; the history of inauguration of theaters in Mashhad; theater groups in Mashhad since 1949 to 1969; and finally from 1969 to 1978.

It seems if a part of the book was dedicated to the role of Mashhad Theater in Islamic revolution, the writer’s approach in explaining events and daily accounts, would transform into an important and notable current. This work is totally a valuable book and a golden page which contains 70 years of vicissitudes of the history of Mashhad new theater.