TEHRAN -- The Persian literary monthly Bokhara celebrated actor/director Davud Rashidi’s 80th birthday on Tuesday.
A large number of literati, Rashidi’s friends and colleagues attended the celebration in Tehran at the Mahmud Afshar Foundation on Saturday evening.
Former president Seyyed Mohammad Khatami and several officials were also in attendance at the gala.
The celebration began with a speech by Rashidi’s lifelong friend, philosopher Dariush Shayegan.
He said that he met Rashid at the St. Louis School, one of the French schools which were established during the Qajar era in Tehran, 66 years ago.
“He then left Iran to pursue his study in France and I also left Iran to study in England,” he added.
“Sometimes we met each other and talked about theater in England and France. I found him a congenital actor at that time,” he stated.
“At that time, parents usually asked their children, who left Iran to study in foreign countries, to return after the completion of their studies in order to be at their country’s service,” he noted.
Rashidi returned and made his directorial debut with an Iranian play entitled “Do You Want to Play with Me?” and his second was Samuel Bechett’s “Waiting for Godot”.
Actor Ali Nasirian, who costarred with Rashidi in “Waiting for Godot” also made a short speech.
“Rashidi was one of the major mainstays of the development of the modern theater in Iran, and the performance of ‘Waiting for Godot’ was a turning point in Iranian theater,” Nasirian said.
“He should feel satisfaction from his life, because he has been contributing to his country’s art and culture,” he added.
The celebration went on with several short speeches by actor/director Akbar Zanjanpur, director Marzieh Borumand, and critic Hushang Golmakani, and finally Rashid appeared on stage to cut his birthday cake.
“To appear on stage, we actors should have a script,” Rashidi said.
“We usually are not able to extemporize. I should only say that I am grateful to friends and all the audience,” he added.
Rashidi’s friends presented him gifts and the Persian song “Happy Birthday to You” was sung by the audience.
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