TEHRAN -- Over 2000 quake-stricken children in East Azarbaijan Province received drama therapy through performances arranged by Iran’s Portable Theater Center (PTC).
Surprisingly, the children have welcomed the performances, PTC Director Saeid Zamanian told the Persian Service of IRNA on Monday.
The performances were organized with the help of the Dramatic Arts Association of East Azarbaijan Province to elevate the spirits of the child victims of the recent quakes, he added.
One troupe led by the Azari artist Yaqub Seddiq Jamali along with a second troupe named “Qasedak” have been dispatched to the regions to give performances, Zamanian said.
The warm welcome of the plays by over 2000 children and young adults in the city of Ahar was a big surprise that encouraged the artists to give better performances, he added.
He said that the troupes were due to conclude their performances but decided to extend their stay to keep the survivors’ spirits up.
On August 11, two successive earthquakes measuring 6.2 and 6 on the Richter scale hit the cities of Ahar, Varzaqan and Haris in East Azarbaijan Province. The strong earthquakes left thousands of people homeless in villages. Official figures put the number of the dead at 306 and the injured at over 2000.
RM/YAW
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