Tehran theater serving iftar to avoid drop in box office receipts

TEHRAN,July 15(MNA) -- Tehran’s Sangelaj Hall has decided to serve iftar, the evening meal for breaking the fast during Ramadan, as part of its program to avoid a decline in the number of theatergoers during the month of fasting. Reza Shafiian’s troupe is currently performing “The Chef Offers” in the theater. The play is a comic-musical adaptation of the Zahhak story from Persian poet Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh. The troupe mixes ru-hozi, a form of traditional Iranian theatrical performance, and the technique of shadow play to change the epic story of the battle between the evil ruler Zahhak and the mythical hero Kaveh into a musical comedy play. Serving iftar to the audience was initiated in 2011 by two cast members of “No Entry for Men”, the comedy drama by director Rambod Javan. Reza Attaran and Vishka Asayesh attended the evening screening at Tehran’s Azadi Cinema and served the meal to the filmgoers.