Effect of France, Russia and Turkey On Iran's Theatre during Constitutional Period

A lot has happened to the Iran’s theatre during the constitutional period; from the first invasion of Agha Mohammad khan Ghajar and decapitating Tiblisi’s actors, to forming theatre salons in Dar ol-fonoon and several translations of European texts. In the beginning, Iranian travelers and intellectuals became acquainted with the theater in the surrounding countries, such as Russia, and described its benefits and how-abouts through travel diaries. After a while, Nasser al din Shah was fascinated by theater, which marks the start of the European theater growth in Iran. The role of France, specially Moliere’s in the development of the European theatre in Iran is undeniable; from the first performance of Misanthrope at Dar olfonoon to the translation of all of his plays in those very early years. On the other hand, commute of the Russian, Caucasians and Turkish theater groups to Iran and their performances in the court and Dar ol-fonoon as well as introduction of opera to Iran paved the way for [further] establishing the European theater in Iran. Following these groups, Iranian intellectuals became eager to establish theatre troupes, imitating their practice. Meanwhile, we should refer to the role of Armenians in promoting this kind of theater. At the end of this article, we also mention the role of Habib Mirza in the translation movement.