Tehran Intl. Puppet Theater Festival kicks off

TEHRAN,July 1(MNA) -- The 14th Tehran International Puppet Theater Festival (Mobarak) kicked off in Tehran on Saturday. The five-day festival opened during a ceremony in Tehran. Southern Khorasan, East Azerbaijan, and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari provinces are also hosting the event. The festival will pay tribute to five major Iranian figures in puppet theater during the closing ceremony. Veterans of puppet shows for children Hengameh Mofid; puppet show experts Iraj Mohammadi, the deceased Javad Zolfaqari and Reza Jafari; and prominent Kheimeh Shab-Bazi performer Hassan Lavaeeyan will be honored during the festival. Deputy Culture Minister for Artistic Affairs Hamid Shahabadi sent a message to the opening ceremony of the festival. In his message, he called the festival an opportunity for young talent who are active in Puppet Theater. A total of 21 puppet shows are on stage during the event along with four shows created by university students. Eleven puppet shows from Italy, Belarus, Germany, Turkey, Georgia, Afghanistan and India will go on stage during the event. Theater scholar Ardeshir Salehpur is the secretary of the event which runs until July 5. Five halls of Tehran’s City Theater Complex along with Ferdowsi Hall, Sangelaj Hall, Niavaran Cultural Center and the Honar Hall are among the hosts of the festival. The open-air area of Tehran City Complex, Iranian Artists Forum and Golestan Palace will also host puppet show performances during the gala.