Actor and director Javad Ensafi is to bring on stage “A City Without Beggars,” a play written by theater actor, director and playwright Hassan Dowlatabadi.
“The play is written in the genre of siah-bazi,” Ensafi told ISNA. Siah-bazi is a type of Iranian folk performing art that typically features a mischievous and forthright harlequin with a blackface who does improvisations to make people laugh.
It had an earlier performance at Honar Hall in Tehran in late 2015. It was directed by children’s theater actor and playwright Narges Asghari whose focus was more on pedagogy than presenting humor.
A City Without Beggars follows the story of Rajab, a blacksmith apprentice. One day, on his way to the water reservoir, he accidentally drops the pot that belongs to his master and breaks it. His desperate situation with the broken pot makes him an apt object of compassion. Long story short, Rajab becomes a professional beggar and travels from one city to another, until he comes to a city where beggary is banned.
Rehearsal of the play has already begun. Ensafi directs the play and also performs the role of ‘Siah,’ the character with the black face who takes on a clown’s role and tries to degrade his master who on the outside is a respectable person but immoral and disputable at the core.
Wit and Humor
The term ‘siah-bazi’ literally translates into ‘playing black’ in which two or more actors engage in a verbal dispute which is often witty, sarcastic and humorous and contains impromptu skits peppered with mimicry and subtle commentary on current events and issues.
“A City Without Beggars criticizes beggary in an argument with profound concepts. It can be interesting for people in all age groups,” Ensafi said.
He refers to Tabriz, capital of East Azarbaijan Province, as a vivid example of a city without beggars. “The city has built some factories that hire anyone who might want to go and beg.”
The play shows how people make a beggar of someone simply out of compassion, Ensafi added. “It is a musical play and has three different generations in the cast. We’ve had preliminary talks to bring the play on stage at Shahrzad Theater”.
The date for staging the play is not known but is expected to open after the fasting month of Ramadan (started May 17).
Major Social Issue
Beggars in most urban areas have long been a major social issue in the country and despite the best efforts of NGOs and some charities the situation has gotten worse in recent years.
Social experts and media outlets have often taken up the plight of the beggars and exposed the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of those responsible for urban management.
The capital Tehran is just one case when child beggars, namely flower vendors and wind-shield cleaners wanting money surround motorists at traffic intersections.
Any law-abiding resident is at a grave loss to know why the Tehran Municipality is unable or unwilling to remove the poor kids, often from broken families, from the streets and help them in going to school or learn some skills to be able to find work and live decent lives.
