Theater in its modern form is a new phenomenon in Iran. In fact, this cultural phenomenon manifested itself in the form of experiments in the field of dramatic literature in Iran at the same time as the emergence of modernity and the acquaintance of intellectuals of that era with this art. Tabriz is the gateway to the manifestations of modernism in Iran due to its geopolitical location. Literature based on social criticism was presented mostly in the form of poetry and stories before the establishment of the play format - in its Western form - in Iran, given its brilliant precedent. However, the first plays that had a critical look at the issues of Iranian society were written by Mirza Fathali Akhundzadeh and Mirza Agha Tabrizi, and in fact, the foundation of theater based on social and political criticism in Iran began in the years of the Constitutional Era. During that era, theater in Tabriz dealt with topics such as the criticism of traditions, as well as the denunciation of superstitions and the adaptation of existing conditions to assumed conditions. Tabriz theater has always played an active role in this period of time - the Constitutional Era until the end of the 1960s - and in the ups and downs of social and political life. In this article, in parallel with the historical treatment of the evolution of theater in Tabriz, the reciprocal impact of the political and social ups and downs in Tabriz on the critical thought of the performed plays and vice versa is pointed out. This research will proceed in a descriptive-analytical format and will try to approach the answer to the problem step by step.
Critical Theater, Tabriz Theater, Akhundzadeh, Mirza Agha Tabrizi, Saedi