TEHRAN -- A Greek theatre production commemorating children martyred in the February 28 strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Iran’s southern city of Minab is set to bring the tragedy and its human consequences before audiences in Athens.
Titled Reading Sara’s Diary from Minab, the play is written and directed by Greek playwright and theatre director Andreas Zafeiris. It will be staged at the Skini Brecht-2510 theatre in the Greek capital on October 22 and 29, with performances scheduled to continue every Thursday from October 29.
The production has been developed in cooperation with Iran’s cultural representation and embassy in Greece. It seeks to preserve the memory of the children killed in the school strike while drawing international attention to the grief of their families and the devastating consequences of attacks on civilians.
The performances will be accompanied by discussions focusing on the children of Minab, creating an opportunity for audiences to engage with the tragedy beyond the statistics and headlines of war.
Mustafa Karimi, head of the Culture and Islamic Guidance Department in Minab County, said the production offered an opportunity to present the human dimensions of the incident to audiences outside Iran.
Artistic representations, Karimi said, can help audiences connect with the lives, aspirations and futures taken from the children, rather than viewing the victims merely as numbers in news reports.
The Skini Brecht-2510 theatre is located at 38 Third September Street in Athens. According to the announced schedule, the October 22 and 29 performances will begin at 7 p.m. local time, with discussions on the children of Minab planned ahead of the shows.
The theatre’s published description also states that proceeds from the performances will go toward supporting children in Minab, extending the project beyond remembrance to practical solidarity.
The production comes amid continuing efforts to commemorate the victims through cultural initiatives in different countries.
In Mexico, artist María Xitcat recently presented an artwork titled Butterflies of Minab to Iran’s ambassador, Abolfazl Pasandideh, during a visit to the Iranian Embassy in Mexico City.