By the 1940s theatre was already an essential part of life on Lalehzar Street. Theatre houses became unavoidable by enthusiastic audiences or passersby, young and old, seeking stories and spectacles, searching for fascinating songs and mesmerizing acting. This theatre scene has been the main focus of many discussions and studies in Iranian theatre history. Scholars have called the 1940s “the golden age of Lalehzar” as relative freedom created a sphere for artists and leaders like Abdol Hossein Nushin, Ahmad Dehghan, and many others to grow.
Yet, looking more closely, not much attention has been given to the ordinary, the quotidian, the mundane life of not-so-famous theatre practitioners who filled most of the stages of Lalehzar with their talent and attracted most of the audience to this landscape. How did they experience Lalehzar? How did they navigate this vibrant and multicultural landscape? How were they perceived by other cultural benefactors of the district? And, more importantly, how did they shape Tehran’s cultural scene?
As a contributor to this special performance-based panel, I will narrate the story of Lalehzer’s 1940s from the viewpoint of a theatre practitioner who belonged to the district but was not under the radar of theatre historians, one who wrote lines and produced plays but did not belong to the theatre history books. The imaginary theatre practitioner that I will portray, much like Ghulam Ali Fikri or Muhammad Abdi, had written and produced nearly 30 plays in the Lalehzar district, had worked with many different theatres Like Tehran Theatre or Jame’e Barbod, and was challenged to create a theatre experience which resonated with Lalehzar’s audience. This theatre practitioner explores and interacts with performances staged by allied powers, by Tudeh party members, by takht-i hawzi troops, and creates his plays being part of this diverse landscape.
