The Development of Drama in Iran (5)

The book “Drama Literature in Iran,” subtitled “The Rise and Fall of Drama in Iran,” written by Jamshid Malekpour, specializes in theatrical works and dramatic literature in Iran, targeting theater students, especially those focused on drama literature. This five-volume set covers drama from the Qajar period to the Pahlavi era: volumes one through four explore drama during the Qajar, Constitutional Revolution, and Reza Shah Pahlavi periods, while volume five focuses on drama in Iran from 1953 to 1978. The first four volumes address topics such as literary adaptations in playwriting and theatrical criticism and theory. Volume five reviews the flourishing publication of Iranian plays, especially by writers like Gholam-Hossein Saedi, analyzing most Iranian playwrights’ works during the 25 years between 1953 and 1978. Malekpour traces the history of Iranian drama development starting in the Qajar era; volume one discusses the contributions of Akhundzadeh, Mirza Aqa Tabrizi, and the translation and adaptation movement in Iran. Volume two moves to the Constitutional Revolution, examining playwrights writing in Azeri and Persian such as Haji-Beg, Narimanov, Movahedolmamalek Fekri, Kamalolvazareh Mahmoudi, and also Iran’s first theater newspaper. Subsequent volumes explore the era under Reza Shah Pahlavi (1921-1941), featuring writers like Reza Kamal Shahrzad, Hassan Moghaddam, Mirzadeh Eshghi, Sadegh Hedayat, Saeed Nafisi, and Grigor Yegikian. Volume four covers the golden age of Iranian theater (1941-1953), highlighting major theatrical groups founded by Abdolhossein Noushin, Seyed Ali Nasr, Ahmad Dehghan, and Esmaeil Mohrtash—the Ferdowsi Theater, Tehran Theater, and Barbad Society—which shaped this pinnacle period in Iranian theater. Volume five focuses on the post-1953 coup period and the failure of Mossadegh’s national movement; during this time, Gholam-Hossein Saedi played a dominant role in expanding Iranian playwriting prior to the revolution.