The bitter fruit of customization in “Iranian Theater Showcase”

Charso Press: The publication of the statistics of the audience of two government and semi-government theaters (Iranshahr Theater and Shahr Theater Complex) in recent weeks became the basis for presenting all kinds of analyzes about what caused the multiple halls of “Shahr Theater” under the supervision of the General Directorate of Performing Arts (Government) today. face a daily drop in viewers? Something that has been creeping on for years and has angered the serious theater audience with this cultural-artistic complex. It was just a few years ago that Mehr News Agency published the report of its reporter’s several-hour journey with the passengers of the Tajrish-Railway bus, which passed in front of the “City Theater” on the way. The result showed that the theater has abandoned an important part of its audience due to the increase in expenses and ticket prices; An approach that the managers of the General Administration still insist on continuing. The audit discussion and the removal of famous theater artists from the stages was another issue that the old audience of “City Theater” and now pushed out, raised in the form of a report. The audit had created a situation where they no longer see their favorite directors, artists and texts on the stages of the “City Theater” and regretfully miss out on watching plays. This was also noticed in the analysis of one of the old reporters of the theater. Sasan Pirouz, a member of the Board of Directors of the House of Theater Critics and Writers Association, published a graph resulting from two decades of gathering information on the audience of “City Theater” and showed that “Iranian Theater Showcase”! How it has been seriously damaged as a result of the performance of government managers. So that today even the famous theater directors are not able to restore its lost credit.

The statistics are staggering; According to the public relations report of the General Department of Performing Arts, all government halls (including Hall of Art, Sangalj Theater and Shahr Theater Complex) have hosted something as high as 9091 spectators in the first two months of the year. When we look at the Iranshahr auditorium, the number shows 10,000 spectators. In the meantime, the “City Theater” complex, which government managers have always referred to as the “Showcase Theater of Iran”, shows the number of 5908 spectators. A disappointing statistic for a group with four popular halls (among the directors) namely “Asli”, “Qashqaei”, “Saye” and “Chaharso” along with a performance plateau of about 20 people for which the directors do not even have a written program. Although only two halls “Main” and “Chaharso” of the city theater complex have a capacity equal to the total capacity of the seats of the Iranshahr theater, but what is the output we are facing in practice? It is quite clear. Avoiding thinking directors with a large audience. A case that will be aggravated by the strange announcement of the new management of the collection in recent weeks. The fact that talented and young artists or those who have spent a lifetime in this way did not show the slightest reaction to the new management’s prescriptive, customized and exclusionary approach, alone indicates that “City Theater” is out of the equation of the country’s performing arts.

According to the reports, the sales and audience statistics of the shows staged in the different halls of the Shahr Theater Complex, Sangalj Theater and Hall of Art were determined by performances. Although, except for one case, private theaters still avoid providing the sales statistics of their shows, the public relations department of the general department of sales statistics and the audiences of the shows staged in the main halls, Chaharso, Qashqai, Sayeh and the show workshop of the Shahr Theater Complex, Sangalj Theater and Hall of Art. He announced the separation of performances. All statistics have been announced including full-price, half-price, discounted and guest tickets.
The show “Parveen” directed by Hossein Kiyani, which has been hosting fans in the main hall of Shahr Theater since June 8, with a capacity of 579 spectators and a ticket price of 100 thousand Tomans, so far has a total of 10 performances, hosting 1,677 spectators and sales equal to 117 million. 950 thousand tomans has been achieved. The show “Barn Horses” directed by Reza Karmizadeh, which was staged on the first day of Khordad in the Chaharso Hall with a capacity of 101 spectators and a ticket price of 60 thousand Tomans, so far with a total of 14 performances, 1,523 spectators sold the equivalent of 69,120,000 Toman has been achieved.
The show “Hehesht Hakimullah” directed by Vida Mousavi, which has been staged since June 1st in the shadow hall of Shahr Theater with a capacity of 72 people and a ticket price of 40 thousand Tomans, has sold 15 million and 470 thousand Tomans with a total of 14 performances and 550 spectators. had.

The show “Be Chera Zandangad” directed by Elham Shabani, which has been on stage since June 2nd in the Qashqai Hall of Shahr Theater with a capacity of 96 spectators and a ticket price of 60 thousand Tomans, has sold a total of 36 million with a total of 13 performances and 1,898 spectators. And 594 thousand tomans have been achieved. The show “Another Day” directed by Nadia Faraji, which has been staged since the 8th of May in the workshop with a capacity of 26 people and a ticket price of 50 thousand Tomans, has achieved sales equivalent to 10 million and 900 thousand Tomans with 10 performances and 260 spectators. Is. According to this report, the show “Nazgol” directed by Meisham Yousefi, which has been staged since May 25th in the Sangalj auditorium with a capacity of 236 spectators, has so far had a total of 28 performances and 2,550 spectators, and the ticket price is 40 and 50 thousand Tomans. It has reached 49 million 109 thousand 950 tomans. The show “Carlo’s One Street Kids” directed by Asha Mehrabi, which was staged at Art Hall from May 25 with a ticket price of 30 thousand tomans, has received a total of 1,960 spectators with a total of 21 performances, which sold the equivalent of 41,965,000 770 Tomans has been achieved.

In the meantime, the private theater “Shaherzad” only informed that in the same period according to the General Administration, it had sales of about 10 billion tomans; Although this collection refused to provide detailed statistics, it is the box office sales figure that dazzles the eyes of government managers. At the same time, it gives a wrong model in the field of theater commercialization. The approach that the general director of performing arts and the deputy of artistic affairs of the 13th government promote in different ways. The numbers and figures of the Iranshahr auditorium seem more balanced. Although the wrong management and planning of Dimi practically caused the failure of one wing of the complex and the “Nazerzadeh Kermani” hall of the Iranshahr auditorium, similar to the main hall of the “Shahr Theater”, has hit the ground. According to the information, the works of young directors expelled from “Shahr Theater” have contributed the most to the promotion of the audience of this semi-government complex (which is staged in the Saarigian Hall). According to the report of “Trust”, citing the public relations and international affairs of Iranshahr Theater, all the pre-sale capacities of the show “Cherry Blossoms” have been completed, and the shows “Audience” and “Sham Akher” are also hosting audiences with full capacity these nights. The show “Audience” directed by Jaber Ramezani and starring Negar Javaherian, Lili Rashidi, Ali Bagheri and Jaber Ramezani every day at 18:30 and the show “Cherry Blossoms” directed by Mohammad Ejavan starring Romina Momeni and Hamed Rasouli at 21:00 in the hall of Ostad Sahargyan They have gone on stage. Also, the show “The Last Night” directed by Masoud Karsif at 19:30 in the hall of Dr. Nazerzadeh Kermani will host the audience.
The author is desperate to note that this information will have much impact and lead to a change in the management of performing arts, but recording the mentioned details in written form will definitely be useful for future generations and they will analyze what the artists and theater audiences were going through at the beginning of the new century. . The signs tell us that government managers are counting down the minutes to privatize the “city theater” and get rid of the support payment.

In the end, pay attention to a part of the statement of the Director General of Performing Arts of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance in the gathering of Kermanshah theater artists: “We are aware of everyone’s financial concerns and we have responsibilities, but as a person who is a person of your gender who is a person of art, I would like to tell you that It is not like that everything is always available all over the world. In a country like Argentina, I personally asked one of the artists how the financial conditions of the shows are handled. He said that we also give money to the government for our performances. They have followed the right path of producing wealth from art. If we promote stage performances ourselves and avoid festivals, we can earn a decent income from theater.”