Muṭāli̒āt-i tārīkh-i farhangī(Cultural History Studies)

The Role of Gilan Women in Theater During Reza Shah's Era, Based on the Life of Fatemeh Nashouri

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

katayoon nikbakhsh 1
Robabe motaghedi 2
Sina Foroozesh 3

1 Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Faculty Member, National Archives and Library Organization, Tehran, Iran

3 Associate Professor, Department of History, University of Science and Research, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22034/chs.2026.571399.1157
Abstract
Theater in contemporary Iran is considered one of the important arenas of cultural and social developments, and the city of Rasht was one of the active centers in this field during the Reza Shah era. This research aims to investigate the social and cultural contexts of women's presence in Gilan theater, focusing on the life and activities of Fatemeh Nashouri. The main question addressed in the present study is what social, institutional, and cultural factors played a role in shaping the possibility of women's presence in Rasht theater, and how can Fatemeh Nashouri's activities be explained in this process? The research method in this study is descriptive-analytical, and the data were collected and analyzed using library resources, historical documents, Reza Shah era press, and some oral narratives. The main claim of this article is that the expansion of cultural institutions, the formation of theaters, the development of urban space, and the gradual changes in social attitudes towards the role of women provided a new context for their presence in the field of performing arts. In the meantime, Fatemeh Nashouri can be considered a prominent example of women's activism in the gradual process of changing their position in Gilan theater; a presence that was a reflection of the broader cultural transformations of society at that time.

Keywords

Social history of art
cultural life
women
Gilan
theater
Reza Shah era
Fatemeh Nashouri
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Muṭāli̒āt-i tārīkh-i farhangī(Cultural History Studies)
Volume 18, Issue 68 - Serial Number 68
Summer 2026
Summer 2026
Pages 29-62

  • Receive Date 07 January 2026
  • Revise Date 19 July 2026
  • Accept Date 30 July 2026
  • Publish Date 23 July 2026

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