TEHRAN -- Iran is launching the first Tehran National Monologue Festival, a new theatre event designed to identify and support emerging performers and creators who have yet to gain broad exposure on the country’s major stages.
The festival, headed by theatre administrator and producer Muhammadreza Alizadeh, is inviting applicants from across Iran and will focus on the monologue as a performance form that places particular emphasis on an individual actor’s voice, physicality, concentration and storytelling ability.
Organizers say the initiative is intended to create opportunities for lesser-known theatre artists who may not yet have access to major festivals or established production networks. 
By reducing the dependence on large ensembles and complex production structures, the monologue format allows performers to present their work through a concentrated relationship between actor, character and audience.
The festival is offering a special prize of IRR 1 billion (100 million tomans) to its selected artist, while the first three ranked participants will receive prizes of 300 million, 200 million and 100 million rials, respectively.
The inaugural edition will feature Children’s and Adults’ sections, alongside open programming, play readings and an academic paper category. Participants may submit up to three works, with each performance limited to 20 minutes.
The organizers describe the monologue as one of theatre’s most demanding forms, requiring performers to sustain an audience’s attention without the support of a conventional ensemble. The festival’s programming consequently places individual performance and narrative ability at the center of its selection process.
A selection committee and jury drawn from established figures in Iranian theatre
 will assess the submitted works. The festival has yet to announce the names of its jury members.
The call for submissions closes Nov. 16, 2026, with the festival scheduled to take place Dec. 14–17 in Tehran. Performances will be staged at Neauphle-le-Château Theatre and Mehrab Hall.
The event is organized by the Iranian House of Arts, which is handling applications and publication of the full call for entries.
The launch comes as Iranian theatre continues to use festival platforms as a route for introducing emerging artists, developing new performance formats and connecting artists with audiences and professional networks. 
Previous monologue-focused events in Tehran, including the National Monologue Festival associated with the Iran University of Art, have provided platforms for performers, playwrights and directors working in the form.
With its emphasis on emerging talent and a format requiring relatively limited production infrastructure, the new Tehran festival is positioning the monologue not simply as a theatrical genre but as an accessible entry point for artists seeking to establish themselves within Iran’s wider performing-arts ecosystem.