Tehran theater shows play for infants, parents

A theater center in Iran has performed a play specifically designed for infants and their parents.

Infants between 6 and 16 months, accompanied by their parents, now have their own seats among the audience at the Theater Center of the Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA) in Tehran.

The colorful stage presented the play ‘Form and Color’, which was written, designed and directed by theater director and puppet designer Fahimeh Mirza Hosseini.

The idea of the pilot play project was introduced by author, playwright and screenwriter Atousa Shamlou, who is among the experts at the IIDCYA.

“In the past years, parents referred to us and asked for certain plays specialized for infants,” Shamlou said, adding that “The practice is routine in other countries for a long time, and has recently been recognized in Iran.”

Describing the Tehran play, Shamlou said, “Thespians portray a 24-hour lifecycle. On the stage, there are cubes, as well as round and triangular objects in bright colors. They are the accessories of the play given to the infants” to encourage an interaction.

Based on principles of child psychology, the play takes into account the behavior of infants in reaction to different colors.

“The rehearsal took one and half months before the play was finalized,” Shamlou concluded.

AI/AI