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Performance Traditions of Kurdistan: Towards a More Comprehensive Theatre History

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

Mahroo Rashidirostami
Mahroo Rashidirostami*
Affiliation:
University of Exeter, Kurdish Studies, University of Tehran, Razi University
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Abstract

This study addresses the gap in the contemporary scholarship on Kurdish oral and performative culture by, for the first time, presenting a review of some of the performance traditions in Kurdistan. By describing these traditions, the article demonstrates that performance has for centuries comprised a vital and meaningful element of Kurdish cultural life. Further, it shows that a more inclusive approach to writing theatre histories enhances understanding of Middle Eastern and, in particular, Iranian performance culture—for the Kurds, as an Iranian people and the fourth largest ethnic group in the Middle East, play an intrinsic part in the culture of the region. All combined, this comprehension fosters a deeper appreciation and fuller picture of Middle Eastern theatre, in general, and Iranian theatre, in particular.

Type
Articles
Information
Iranian Studies , Volume 51 , Issue 2 , March 2018 , pp. 269 - 287
Copyright
Copyright © 2017 Association For Iranian Studies Inc.

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