http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=199016
July 16, 2009 Female prisoners hired for "New Birth" play in Shiraz Tehran Times Art Desk TEHRAN -- Shiraz is currently hosting seven women sentenced to death or life imprisonment on stage with the play "New Birth" at the Abureihan Hall. The play, directed by Sirus Mahbudi, is being warmly received in the city, the Persian service of ISNA reported. The seven women go on stage wearing handcuffs while several prison guards accompany them all the time they are on stage. The actresses still maintain their special spirit while playing. Head of the theater association of Shiraz Hossein Qahremani said that Mahbudi has been collaborating with the cultural section of the prisons and has made great efforts in order to stage the play. Qahremani said that the association is responsible for supporting the plays and they try to provide facilities for the troupe to perform their play. He later commented that theater can help reduce crime in society and said, "We were ignorant all these years and we must know that this could be a tremendous help. As one of the ladies in the troupe sentenced to life imprisonment had said if she had known how exciting theater was, she would never have pursued armed robbery." Qahremani believes that theater gives people a special kind of spirit, and is highly influential. The theatrical figures have learned to leave their problems behind and appear on stage with that special spirit, he concluded. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
