نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
نویسندگان
1 دانشجوی دکتری مطالعات تئاتر، دانشکده موسیقی و هنرهای نمایشی، پردیس هنرهای زیبا، دانشگاه تهران
2 دانشیار، گروه هنرهای نمایشی، دانشکده موسیقی و هنرهای نمایشی، پردیس هنرهای زیبا، دانشگاه تهران
چکیده
کلیدواژهها
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسندگان [English]
The representation of social identities—particularly those marginalized or silenced in dominant historical narratives—has emerged as a central strategy within modern cultural production to confront hegemonic discourse, recover lost subjectivities, and resist the alienating effects of modernization. Among all forms of cultural expression, theatre holds a distinctive place: once a performative medium for articulating aristocratic power and courtly ideals in the West, it has, through a profound shift in purpose and aesthetics, become a vital arena for reimagining collective identities, voicing cultural memory, and shaping national consciousness. In this regard, the quantity, quality, and unique formal traits of theatrical works serve as critical indicators for understanding the inner cultural and ideological dynamics of any society.
In the context of Iranian theatre, the effort to stage a meaningful image of the Iranian nation has been a defining concern since its inception. Particularly during the politically vibrant decades of the 1960s and 1970s, Iranian playwrights produced a rich body of dramatic literature concerned with redefining national identity and reworking local tradition in the face of accelerated social change. This paper investigates Shahr-e Ghesseh ("City of Tales"), written and directed by Bijan Mofid, as one of the most prominent examples of dramatic engagement with Iranian national identity during this period.
Anchored in Benedict Anderson’s theory of imagined communities and Stuart Hall’s theory of representation, this study explores how Shahr-e Ghesseh weaves together elements from Iranian folklore, particularly the tale of "Khaleh Sooskeh," with political allegory and social satire, producing a narrative that is both culturally resonant and structurally innovative. Mofid’s dramaturgy is marked by the creative integration of traditional Iranian performance techniques—such as naqqāli, ta'zieh, parde-khani, and ru-howzi—with Western dramatic elements, forming a hybrid aesthetic language through which Iranian identity is represented both thematically and formally.
The analysis identifies specific content and formal features—such as stylized language, rhythmic dialogue, symbolic character construction, musical integration, and meta-theatrical narration—as key devices in articulating a uniquely Iranian theatrical mode. Ultimately, this hybrid dramaturgy not only embodies the performative imagination of national identity but also contributes to the broader project of indigenizing theatrical modernity in Iran.
کلیدواژهها [English]
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