I’m confident that had anyone told Hossein Tehrani ‘one day you would be managing director of a state entity’ he would have slapped him in the face.
It is impossible to flout the influence of Abbas Javanmard and his countless plays in the history of Iranian theater. This is aside from the question of whether or not his works are popular and well-liked. He has been in this sphere for well over five decades.
Born in 1928, Tehran, Javanmard is a writer, director, researcher, and caretaker of National Art Group. He is also one of the founding members of Sanglaj Hall. Here is a brief interview with the master himself:
From Artistic Reviews to Discounting Veterans
Before anything else, Javanmard begins with some grievances: I was among the first dramatists to protest against the Culture Ministry’s decision to evaluate artists and deem them as state employees. I’m still against the idea of artists having government positions. Believe it or not, if someone had told Hossein Tehrani that one day he would be director of a state entity, he would have slapped him in the face right there and then.
I told the same thing to the Labor Ministry’s representative at the time. I was chosen to represent the Culture Ministry in a commission set up for the purpose. I was in charge of categorizing the artists. I was told to be their representative and second-in-command. The whole saga seems so weird now. Think about it, I was supposed to stop this trend from happening, and instead helped implement it!
Along with Fakhri Khorvash, Ali Nasirian, and Ezzatollah Entezami, we were among the first to receive the highest artistic degree from the ministry. The problem is, they never considered me as a top artist and the question is how come? Of course, now I know why. We used to receive the qualifications and the career degrees from businessmen like Hashtroudi and Forough. Unlike today, it’s no longer that hard to get this kind of degree. Those who gave me the degree didn’t do the right thing. They are forever indebted to me.
Nowadays no one knows anything about Hassan Noushirvani, Nosrat Karimi and Fakhri Khorvash. Shirvani did a great job for this country’s theater industry. He is the salt of Iranian dramatic arts, if you ask me. Actors like Eqlim, Samin and Bijan Mofid were his students. The same goes to Ali Mohmmad Rajaei, Arham Sadr, Vahdat, Momayezan and many others from the city of Isfahan. No one has any idea where these artists are or what has happened to them.
They served the theater industry. How come no one is using the unique talent and experience of Nosrat Karimi? Why on earth is he now out of work? When his salary was cut off, he had to sell sculptures to make ends meet. When he was barred from doing this, he had to sell cactus. It is so unfair to ignore or misjudge his life-long contribution to Iranian theater and cinema.
From Le Petit Prince to Artistic Ethics
The author of "Perplexed Nightingale" urges all theater lovers to read "Le Petiti Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery: We all know how "Le Petit Prince" is in love with his flower. But when he comes to know the fox, he is told this is all because he has been watering the flower all these years. That’s why he exults whenever he hears the flower’s name. This is the price for the life he spent taking care of that flower.
The history of art praises all those who have adhered to artistic ethics in their works. This has made their names everlasting. Art without artistic ethics is not worth a dime. An artist without ethics should never consider himself an artist. There are many athletes out there who have won more gold medals than legendary wrestler Gholamreza Takhti. But it is Takhti who is still being remembered and celebrated.
The Restive Art of Theater
The founding member of National Art Group is wondering whether theater (stage) is life or life is theater (stage)? If truth be told, I just don’t know. A minister once told me no art in the world is more restive than theater. Guess what? He was right. This is because in movies you can edit anything behind the desk, but in theater you cannot edit or cut off any scene. This makes theater much more important than film. There is no room for error or mistake. In a live performance, everything is spur-of-the-moment and players have to live it. They cannot trick their audiences, else, they will be exposed.
From Importance of Freedom to Social Radars
Javanmard believes every human being can be influential: Our art is our nemesis. An artist who is not influential is better off not wasting his time. When an artist is not free to do as he sees fit, theater will become like a body with no blood veins. It’s a mistake for governments to put blinders on artists who are the radars and the looking glass of the society. Just like radars they can detect, expose and warn. Lest we forget, politics runs through the corridors of theater, not the other way around. It’s an insult to the theater industry to say otherwise. Theater can criticize politics, make reforms, or expose shortcomings.
Notwithstanding, theater will continue to carry out its duties apace, whether or not politicians like it. Theater is live art, a radar that detects anything that happens in the society. It warns, observes, and ultimately protects the very fabric of the society, its art and its culture. Those who try to flout, antagonize, or eliminate this valuable detector are only fooling themselves.
From Education System to Young Talents
No doubt Iran has some of the brightest and youngest talents in the world of theater. They might lack resources but they still shine and deliver on the stage. I have seen many plays in recent years and I can say with confidence that our young talents, particularly women, are far better than many Avant Garde theater companies in the West. Our education system should introduce courses in eastern-western art and culture. This could help our kids have better understandings about their surrounding environment and modern art.
Four Plays up for Grabs
Javanmard has translated and published four plays by great dramatists and playwrights: "The Country Girl" by Clifford Odets, "The Globe of Death" by Mark Twain, "La Marguerite" by Armand Salacrou, and "Samun" by August Strindberg.
Translation by Bobby Naderi