-

From the birth of the ‘Holy Defense Theatre’ in Iran, which came about as a result of the Iraqi imposed war on Iran, many people including artists and scholars have classified this kind
of theatre as religious drama. Despite the popularity
of this view, it is not based on an academic definition. When considering the main
features of religious drama such as subject, character, symbolism, quality and quantity of
audience, audience participation in performances as well as performance environment,
one sees that there are numerous differences between religious drama and ‘Holy Defense
Theatre’. As there are some similarities between these two forms of performances and
as this type of theatre is related to the prevalent religious ideology of Iranian society it is possible that by using the main features of religious
drama in ‘Holy Defense Theatre’, ways can be found to further develop this theatre and make
it more popular.