The 2016 Cairo International Festival for Contemporary and Experimental Theatre A Theatre Review by Karen Malpede Arab Stages, Volume 5, Number 1 (Fall, 2016) 2016 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center PublicationIn Egypt, as in most of the rest of…
Reviews
The 2016 Cairo International Festival for Contemporary and Experimental Theatre
The 2016 Journées Théâtrales de Carthage
The 2016 Journées Théâtrales de Carthage By Marvin Carlson Arab Stages, Volume 7 (Fall, 2017) ©2017 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publications
One of the most highly respected theatre festivals of the Arab world is the Journées Théâtrales …
A Space to Meet and Share: A Corner in the World Fest 3 from Istanbul
A Space to Meet and Share: A Corner in the World Fest 3 from Istanbul By Eylem Ejder Arab Stages, Volume 8 (Spring, 2018) ©2018 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publications
Istanbul has a fascinating, brand-new performing arts festival, …
Jawad Al-Assadi’s Women in War: Troubling, Troubled and Troublesome Female Refugees
Jawad Al-Assadi’s Women in War: Troubling, Troubled and Troublesome Female Refugees By Hadeel Abdelhameed Arab Stages, Volume 7 (Fall, 2017) ©2017 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publications
Women in War (first published in 2003) is a play written …
Mohammad al-Attar’s While I was Waiting at Avignon
Mohammad al-Attar's While I was Waiting at Avignon A Theatre Review by Philippa Wehle Arab Stages, Volume 5, Number 1 (Fall 2016) ©2016 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publications
Mohammad al-Attar is among the best known young Syrian …
A Drama of Unlived Stories: Old Child by GalataPerform
A Drama of Unlived Stories: Old Child by GalataPerform By Eylem Ejder Arab Stages, Volume 7 (Fall, 2017) ©2017 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publications
Founded in 2003 by Yeşim Özsoy, GalataPerform is one of the foremost theatre …
We Live in Cairo
“Write what you know,” two generations of American writing students have been schooled. On some campuses the stakes have risen further: “How dare you write what you don’t know?” Regarding the Arab world, because its people have suffered such terrible …
The Wind in the Willows Makes It to KSA
The Wind in the Willows Makes It to KSA By Areeg Ibrahim Arab Stages, Volume 8 (Spring, 2018) ©2018 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publications
Watching theatre productions on stage was not a common occurrence in Saudi Arabia. Theatre …
Laugh Till/When You Die: The Throes of Tahrir Square
On its opening day, 1s February, 2018, the Egyptian National Theatre in downtown Cairo showcased Laugh Till/When You Die (Idhak lama t’moot), Lenin el Ramly’s last play, directed by his longtime artistic partner Essam el Sayed. The play, …
Shahid Nadeem’s Acquittal in New York
Shahid Nadeem’s Acquittal in New York By Marvin Carlson Arab Stages, Volume 7 (Fall, 2017) ©2017 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publications
Acquittal, a 1987 play by Shahid Nadeem, Pakistan’s leading playwright, was presented in New York …
Documentary Theatre in Egypt: Devising a New Play in Cairo
Documentary Theatre in Egypt: Devising a New Play in Cairo By Jillian Campana and Sara Seif Arab Stages, Volume 8 (Spring, 2018) ©2018 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publications
An original Documentary Theatre play created by American University in …
Home-Made Theatre (1998)
Home-Made Theatre (1998) By Nehad Selaiha Arab Stages, Volume 6, Nehad Selaiha Memorial Issue (Spring, 2017) ©2017 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publication
To get to the Women and Memory Research Center through the Muhandiseen maze of small …
Boundaries of History, Memory and Invention: Laila Soliman’s ZigZig in Light of Absence of Egyptians’ Right to Freedom under Information Law
Boundaries of History, Memory and Invention:
Laila Soliman’s ZigZig in Light of
Absence of Egyptians’ Right to Freedom under Information Law
By Hadia abd el-fattah Ahmed
Arab Stages, Volume 8 (Spring, 2018)
©2018 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publications…
Tangier International Conference for 2016: The Narrative Turn in Contemporary Theatre
Tangier International Conference for 2016 “The Narrative Turn in Contemporary Theatre” By Marvin Carlson Arab Stages, Volume 5, Number 1 (Fall, 2016) ©2016 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publication
The 12th annual international conference organized in …
The Mysteries Behind a Silenced Voice: Review of Betty Shamieh’s The Strangest
The Mysteries Behind a Silenced Voice: Review of Betty Shamieh’s The Strangest By Juan R. Recondo Arab Stages, Volume 7 (Fall, 2017) ©2017 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publications
Semitic Root’s production of Betty Shamieh’s The Strangest, …
The Yacoubian Building Onstage: An Interview with Kareem Fahmy
The Yacoubian Building Onstage: An Interview with Kareem Fahmy By Catherine Coray Arab Stages, Volume 8 (Spring, 2018) ©2018 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publications
Dr. Alaa Al Aswany’s bestselling Egyptian novel The Yacoubian Building was published in Arabic …
From Dystopia to Utopia: Finding Hope in Now You Have A Trial by BGST
For a while, I have been interested in the ways how the contemporary theatre in Turkey deals with the current political situation, how theatre responds to and reflects the political turmoil which is being described with such language as “polarization,” …
The Last Supper by Ahmed El Attar
The Last Supper by Ahmed El Attar By Marvin Carlson and Philippa Wehle Arab Stages, Volume 2, Number 2 (Spring 2016) ©2016 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publication
Despite the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak in 2011 and the coming …
Heather Raffo on Noura
Heather Raffo on Noura A Theatre Review by Heather Denyer Arab Stages, Volume 5, Number 1 (Fall, 2016) ©2016 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publication
In May of 2016, playwright Heather Raffo spoke with me about her collaboration …
Iranian Theatre as Means of Intervention: The Intercultural Discourse in Hey! Macbeth, only the first dog knows why it is barking!
Iranian Theatre as Means of Intervention: The Intercultural Discourse in Hey! Macbeth, only the first dog knows why it is barking! By Sepideh Shokri Poori Arab Stages, Volume 7 (Fall, 2017) ©2017 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publications…
Arab Angst on Swedish Stages
Arab Angst on Swedish Stages I Came to See You by Karim Rashed, Directed by Robert Jelinek and Petra Brylander A Theatre Review by Margaret Litvin Arab Stages, Volume 2, Number 2 (Spring 2016) ©2016 by Martin E. Segal Theatre…
A Woman’s Rule: Review of The Harlem Classical Theatre’s production of Fit for a Queen
A Woman’s Rule: Review of The Harlem Classical Theatre’s production of Fit for a Queen A Theatre Review by Juan R. Recondo Arab Stages, Volume 5, Number 1 (Fall, 2016) ©2016 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publication
The …
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Why are we here now? Mohammed al Attar’s work Aleppo. A Portrait of Absence
Why are we here now? Mohammed al Attar's work Aleppo. A Portrait of Absence By Christel Weiler Arab Stages, Volume 7 (Fall, 2017) ©2017 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publications
For a period of three weekends in the fall …
Arab World Contributions to the Avignon Festival, 2019
The 2019 edition of the leading international theatre festival at Avignon offered two contributions from the Arab World among its featured presentations. These were Mahmoud & Nini , written and directed by Henri Jules Julien, from the Tarmac Theatre in …
Review of The Selected Works of Yussef El Guindi edited by Michael Malek Najjar
By Areeg Ibrahim
There is a saying in many cultures that when it rains it pours, but we also cannot get enough of a good thing. I am referring here to a new book of Arab American plays. The publication …
Review of Le théâtre marocain a l’épreuve du texte étranger (Moroccan Theatre: Experimenting with the Foreign Text) by Omar Fertat
By Khalid Amine
In the weighty book under the title Le théâtre marocain a l’épreuve du texte étranger, Omar Fertat, writer and lecturer at the University of Bordeaux presents a palimpsestuous reading revising other texts and narratives on the …
Review of Palestinian Theatre in the West Bank: Our Human Faces by Gabriel Varghese
By Ashley Marinaccio
Despite a robust array of scholarship on Palestine, very little published material exists on Palestinian theatre. Gabriel Varghese addresses this matter in his first book Palestinian Theatre in the West Bank: Our Human Faces, based on his …
Two Egyptian Playwrights in Boston: Hany Abdel Naser’s They Say Dancing is a Sin and Yasmeen Emam’s The Mirror
Two Egyptian Playwrights in Boston: Hany Abdel Naser’s They Say Dancing is a Sin and Yasmeen Emam’s The Mirror A Theatre Review by Sarah Moawad Arab Stages, Volume 2, Number 2 (Spring 2016) ©2016 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center…
Middle Eastern Representation at the Brussel’s Kunstenfestivaldesarts, 2019
The Kusntenfestivaldesarts 2019 (Brussels) hosted several shows from Middle Eastern artists this year. Reflecting and sensitivity to presenting a diversity of shows from different cultures, shows from the Middle East are presented in each edition of this festival. They are …
Muslim Rap, Halal Soaps, and Revolutionary Theatre
Muslim Rap, Halal Soaps, and Revolutionary Theatre
Ed. by Karin van Nieuwkerk
A Book Review By Marvin Carlson
Austin: University of Texas Press, 2012.
Pp. vi + 291, ISBN 978-0-292-74768-5. (Pbk $16.75).
Arab Stages, Volume 2, Number 1 (Fall …
The 24th Cairo International Festival for Contemporary and Experimental Theatre
The 24th Cairo International Festival for Contemporary and Experimental Theatre By Marvin Carlson Arab Stages, Volume 7 (Fall, 2017) ©2017 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publications
Long-time observers of the Cairo Theatre scene will remember that in 2011, after …
Arab American Drama, Film and Performance: A Critical Study, 1908 to the Present
Arab American Drama,Film and Performance: A Critical Study, 1908 to the Present By Michael Malek Najjar A Book Review By George Potter Jefferson: McFarland, 2015 Arab Stages, Volume 2, Number 1 (Fall 2015) ©2015 by Martin E. Segal Theatre…
On Michael Najjar’s Direction of Scorched by Wajdi Mouawad
On Michael Najjar’s Direction of Scorched by Wajdi Mouawad A Theatre Review by Torange Yeghiazarian Arab Stages, Volume 2, Number 2 (Spring 2016) ©2016 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publication
Civil war is complicated. It is by definition the …
World Premiere of Arabic Drama at Cornell
World Premiere of Arabic Drama at Cornell A Theatre Review by Marvin Carlson Arab Stages, Volume 5, Number 1 (Fall, 2016) ©2016 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publication
The Cornell University Department of Performing and Media Arts presented …
Theatre Everywhere: How A Small Lebanese Village Transformed for Blood Wedding
Theatre Everywhere: How A Small Lebanese Village Transformed for Blood Wedding By Ashley Marinaccio Arab Stages, Volume 8 (Spring, 2018) ©2018 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publications
In April, the Theatre Initiative at the American University of Beirut and …
Inside/Outside: Six Plays from Palestine and the Diaspora
Theatre Communications Group's Inside/Outside: Six Plays from Palestine and the Diaspora Two Book Reviews by Michael Malek Najjar and Hala Nassar
Inside/Outside: Six Plays from Palestine and the Diaspora Edited by Naomi Wallace and Ismail Khalidi Introduction by Nathalie Handal…
AB: Beit Byout by Tahweel Ensemble Theatre in Beirut
AB: Beit Byout by Tahweel Ensemble Theatre in Beirut A Theatre Review by Michael Malek Najjar Arab Stages, Volume 2, Number 2 (Spring 2016) ©2016 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publication
I must admit that I was skeptical when …
Review of Modern and Contemporary Political Theater from the Levant: A Critical Anthology
It is always refreshing when one finds in the market a new collection of translated Arabic plays. Recently an anthology of Arabic plays appeared. published by Brill as …
Review of Middle Eastern American Theatre: Communities, Cultures and Artists written by Michael Malek Najjar
MIDDLE EASTERN AMERICAN THEATRE: COMMUNITIES, CULTURES AND ARTISTS. By Michael Malek Najjar. Methuen Drama Critical Companions. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. 2021; pp. 237 + xii
Reviewed by Robert Myers, American University of Beirut
Even for those who have been paying close …
Review of Shakespeare on the Arabian Peninsula written by Katherine Hennessey
SHAKESPEARE ON THE ARABIAN PENINSULA. By Katherine Hennessey. London: Palgrave, 2018; pp. 340 +xxi.
Reviewed by George Potter, Valparaiso University.
In English language writing, the Arabian Peninsula is primarily constructed as a site for politics and economics. As I write …
Review of Stories Under Occupation and Other Plays from Palestine, edited by Samer Al-Saber and Gary M. English
STORIES UNDER OCCUPATION AND OTHER PLAYS FROM PALESTINE. Edited by Samer Al-Saber and Gary M. English. In Performance. London: Seagull Books, 2020; pp 256 + xxxi
Reviewed by Zeina Salame, University of Vermont
Stories under Occupation and Other Plays from …
Performance Review: Hotter Than Egypt by Yussef El Guindi, directed by John Langs
HOTTER THAN EGYPT. By Yussef El Guindi. Directed by John Langs. ACT, Seattle. February 5, 2022.
Reviewed by Malek Najjar, University of Oregon
Yussef El Guindi’s play Hotter Than Egypt explores the lives of two couples, one American and …
Performance Review: Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw, directed by Hassan Hajiyah
ARMS AND THE MAN. By George Bernard Shaw. Directed by Hassan Hajiyah. Produced by Staged in Kuwait (SIK), Kaifan Theatre, Kuwait City. March 24, 2022.
Reviewed by Katherine Hennessey
(Review commissioned and edited by Edward Ziter)
First produced in 1894, …
Performance Review: English by Sanaz Toossi, directed by Knud Adams
ENGLISH. By Sanaz Toossi. Directed by Knud Adams. Linda Gross Theater, Atlantic Theater Company. February 18, 2022.
Reviewed by Marvin Carlson, Graduate Center, CUNY
In the new globalized society, language is one of the most important tools anyone can utilize, …
Performance Review: Wish You Were Here and First Down
First Down. By SEVAN. Directed by Johanna McKeon. Performed at 59E59, produced, and commissioned by Noor Theater, New York City. March 4, 2022.
and
Wish You Were Here. By Sanaz Toossi. Directed by Gaye Taylor Upchurch. Playwright’s Horizons, New York …
Performance Review: Birds of a Kind by Wajdi Mouawad, directed by Robert Schuster
Birds Of A Kind. By Wajdi Mouawad. Directed by Robert Schuster. The Berliner Ensemble, Berlin. March 30, 2022.
Reviewed by Marvin Carlson, Graduate Center, CUNY
Probably the most popular contemporary author on the German stage at this moment is the …
Performance Reviews: Arab and Middle Eastern Productions at the Avignon 2022 Festival
Jogging. Written and Directed by Hanane Hajj Ali. 2022 Festival d’Avignon. July 20-26, 2022.
and
Milk. Written and Directed by Bashar Murkus. Produced by Khashabi Theatre (Haifa), 2022 Festival d’Avignon. July 10-16, 2022.
Reviewed by Philippa Wehle.
In the Fall …
Four Arab Hamlet Plays
Four Arab Hamlet Plays eds. Marvin Carlson and Margaret Litvin with Joy Arab A Book Review by Safi Mahmoud Mahfouz Arab Stages, Volume 2, Number 2 (Spring 2016) ©2016 by Martin E. Segal Theatre Center Publication
Four Arab Hamlet Plays,…
Cairo in the ‘60’s: This Time by the Rising Circle Theater Collective New York City, May 19, 2016
Cairo in the ‘60’s: This Time by the Rising Circle Theater Collective The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture, New York City Thursday, May 19, 2016 Performance A Theatre Review by Michael Malek Najjar Arab Stages, Volume 5, Number 1…
