Good teamwork, Ali Rafiei’s main concern

TEHRAN.(Iranart) -- Veteran stage and screen director Ali Rafiei has said that good teamwork has always been his main concern.

He made the remarks before a large number thespians from different generations who gathered at the 60s Art House in Tehran on Thursday to celebrate his 80th birthday.

“I am full of energy and motivation to work and regret those works I did not stage years ago and I want to remain useful for the theater.

“Therefore, I am planning a workshop to try out a new idea, which has been implemented in Europe for the past few years,” he added. 

“I am determined to invite 20 to 25 actors to the workshop and begin constant rehearsals. In this workshop we will be working on 9 different plays by different playwrights and the actors will perform the plays in different venues,” he explained.

Rafiei also added that in his recent visit to France, he met a professional physical theater expert who will be invited to Iran to help the actors in the workshop.

“I am not saying there will be a revolution in the theater of Iran, but the major thing happening would be that the life of the plays will not be short, and that the plays will not be staged only once,” he added.

Born in 1938 in Isfahan, Rafiei got a Ph.D. in theater from Sorbonne University in France in 1974.

He is the director of the acclaimed plays “Fox Hunting”, “It Does Not Snow in Egypt”, “Crime and Punishment”, “Blood Wedding”, “The Maids” and “Nightmares and Memories of a Bath Attendant about the Life and Murder of Amir Kabir”.