Democratic Palestine : 21 (ص 37)
غرض
- عنوان
- Democratic Palestine : 21 (ص 37)
- المحتوى
-
THE PALESTINIAN __
THEATER MOVEMENT
The first independent experiments in
Palestinian theater date back to the
mid-sixties. Al Hadeth (Contemporary)
Theater in Nazareth began in 1965, and
Al Nahed (Awakening) Theater began
in Haifa in 1969. These were modest
experiences that were subjected to all
forms of harassment which deprived
them of the opportunity to establish
Al Hakawati Theater
in Occupied Palestine
The following article is based on an interview with Francois Abu
Salem, director of the Palestinian theater group Al Hakawati, while
the group was touring Europe. The interview appeared in the
Lebanese newspaper A! Safir on November 1, 1986.
Al Hakawati is a very distinctive
experience in Arab theater. The mem-
bers of this group attempt, through
their artistic work, to achieve an ambi-
tious project: Defining the features and
identity of an alternative Arab theater
that will stand out as avant-garde in this
era, and at the same time, have the
Palestinian heritage deeply rooted in it.
The experience of Al Hakawati is
exceptional if only because of its loca-
tion in occupied Palestine. This
imposed a state of isolation on Al
Hakawati, at least initially, but there is
no doubt that the group has accepted
the challenges imposed by occupation
and isolation and turned these into
motivations for development. Al
Hakawati haa to start from point zero
in posing questions and _ treating
thought-provoking issues, despite the
difficult conditions. The issues the
group has dealt with have exposed it to
continuous persecution by the Zionist
authorities. Last year, their center in
Jerusalem was closed down several
times, and director Francois Abu Salem
was summoned for interrogation by the
authorities. In addition to being made
to feel alienated in their own homeland,
Francois Abu Salem
the members of Al Hakawati have had
to endure and overcome continuous
attempts to isolate them from their
primary audience, the Palestinian
community.
themselves firmly and develop. Even-
tually, they died out.
The emergence of the theater move-
ment in occupied Palestine coincided
with the tumultuous political deve-
lopments of the late sixties and early
seventies - the June War in 1967 and the
resulting occupation of the West Bank
and Gaza Strip, the rise of the armed
Palestinian resistance, and the exposure
of the Arab regimes’ impotency. In
particular, Black September 1970 in
Jordan, when the regime unleashed a
wholesale massacre against the Pales-
tinian people and revolution, contri-
buted to the maturation of the Palesti-
nian theater movement both in terms of
its themes and independent identity.
The features of Palestinian theater
emerged more clearly with the esta-
blishment of Balaleen (Balloons)
Theater in occupied Palestine. Then
more groups were born: Sandoug Al
Ajab (The Amusement Box), Dababees
(Pins) and Al Masrah Al Jamei (The
University Theater). Though none of
these groups lasted a long time, they
represented a new form of production
based on collective work and sharing of
expenses. Every member of each
theater group participated in designing
the costumes and sets, and in acting and
directing the plays. >
Scene from «1001» Nights - هو جزء من
- Democratic Palestine : 21
- تاريخ
- يناير ١٩٨٧
- المنشئ
- الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين
Contribute
Not viewed