On the Structure of Tele Theatre in Iranian Television

The present paper aims at a structural analysis of tele-theatre programs in Iranian television. What intensifies the need for such a research is the fact that despite considerable progress in dramatic programs in various TV networks across the globe, and the relative success of Iranian TV in this regard, there is no consensus over the definition, structure, and content of "tele-theatre" programs. As the target audience for this research consists of students, experts, program makers, and managers in the fields of theatre and the media, the structural analysis of tele-play is in itself an interesting subject for those people. Additionally, through a survey of the existing theoretical material on TV language, audience demands, and media functions - and comparing them to theatre and its audience - the research makes it clear that there is no decisive definition of the term tele-theatre among the people involved in producing such programs. So, the producers, directors, and network managers all act according to their own assumption of the term. As a result, these programs have failed to satisfy the majority of their audiences. To improve the situation, this research presents practical suggestions to revise the dominant assumptions and to apply those structures already used in some successful tele-theatres broadcasted over the national television. To this end, the opinion-sampling data published by IRIB about certain Tele-theatre programs have been taken into consideration.According to the findings of this research, the best way to broadcast theatre on television screen is to record such live performances using 4 cameras. In this way, the original mood of the performance would be sustained, and most importantly, the needs and potentials of television as a medium would be met. Also, the best way to adopt a play for TV broadcast requires some changes to be made to the text according to the language and requirements of television. It must be noted that such changes should not betray the original purpose and mood of the written play. One of the most common changes is substituting visual elements for dialogues. The research also suggests that due to the obsoleteness of the term "tele-theatre", it seems more sensible to use the term "tele-play" which implies a more TV- oriented structure aimed at a specific audience already familiar with the medium and its aesthetics. The structure and aesthetics of the medium of television requires the stage play be adopted and modified according to the language of television which is closer to film than to live theatre. In other words, the stage play should be revised or rewritten according to the norms and structure of movie scripts. Another important finding of the research suggests that tele-plays should be broadcast and watched in one session, lasting from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Longer broadcasts (more than 2 hours) require them to be divided into two or more episodes which demonstrates a clear break from the temporal and spatial continuity of theatre, and would make the audience less concerned about the dramatic flow of the events.