Iranian Theater Scholar Receives French Order of Chivalry

Cultural Heritage News - The French government bestowed the Chevalier of the Order of Academic Palms to Iranian theater scholar Professor Ahmad Kamyabi Mask, the Persian service of ISNA reported on Saturday.

Kamyabi Mask, 68, received his doctorat d’État (state doctorate) from Paul Valéry University in Montpellier, France and his dissertation on Eugène Ionesco’s “Rhinoceros” attracted the attention of several literary critics and Ionesco.

His dissertation was published in the form of the book under the title of “Qua-t-on fait de Rhinocéros dEugène lonesco à travers le monde?” (How is Eugène lonesco’s “Rhinoceros” performed around the world?) which contained a preface by Eugène Ionesco.

In his research, Kamyabi Mask reviewed the performances of Ionesco’s “Rhinoceros” in Germany, France, Romania, Iran, Japan and the United States, and interpreted them according to the social and political situations in the countries.

The renowned 20th century French stage director Jean-Louis Barrault staged “Rhinoceros” after reading Kamyabi’s research on the play, Kamyabi mentioned in a short biography.

Some of his books including “Ionesco and His Theater” and “Interviews with Samuel Becket, Eugène Ionesco and J.-L. Barrault” were published in French and Persian.