The Masrahid Festival for plays in Arabic will take place from October 17 – 19, 2017 at the Acco Theatre Center. Now in its 16th edition, the festival provides a prominent platform for plays in Arabic, and nurtures the creation of original works, offering theatre-goers a view onto Palestinian-Arabic culture and concerns. The plays are performed in Arabic (most with subtitles in Hebrew), opening the event to audiences who do not speak Arabic, and creating a bridge of communication between the two cultures. There will be seven plays in competition and one guest play. Tickets for the plays are at the very inviting price of 20 NIS.
Masrahid Plays in Competition:
xenoPhobic
Actor, writer and director : Asmaa Mostafa
Asmaa Mostafa (from Jordan) portrays four women – an artist, journalist, writer, and a woman with cancer – who persevere in standing on their principles, even when they go against society’s opinions.
Performances: Tuesday, October 17th at 19:15; Wednesday, October 18th at 20:15; Thursday, October 19th at 20:15. Red Auditorium.
Pantyhose
Playwright and Director: Khanokh Raaem
Actors :Khaola Haj Debsi, Anat Haded; Music: Mira Awad.
Two sisters meet in the middle of the night at the family’s flower store. They dive deep into their souls, revealing secrets and dreams, and plan a bank robbery.
Performances: Tuesday, October 17th at 18:00; Wednesday, October 18th at 21:15; Thursday, October 19th at 19:15. Divan Auditorium.
Transit
Playwright: Tareek Alsayed.
Director: Kadr Alhreni; Actors: Mrwan Awad, Yasmine Hmar.
The dichotomy between life and death, as expressed in the character of Wahib, who is searching for himself. Bad luck sends him from place to place, looking for work, he finally finds a job driving a hearse. A philosophical work, that delves into the essence of humanity.
Performances: Tuesday, October 17th at 19:00; Wednesday, October 18th at 18:00; Thursday, October 19th at 20:00. Studio.
Relationships
Playwright and director: Waseem Kheer
Actors: Omaima Sarhan, Mahmoud Mora
A black comedy about relationships. Family, friends, work. What happens when a relationship is based on fights and arguments? A day in the life of an average Arab man.
Performances: Tuesday, October 17th at 17:00; Wednesday, October 18th at 20:00; Thursday, October 19th at 18:00. Studio.
Sale
Director: Mahmoud Kadah
Actors: Rasha Jhshan, Jameel Khouri, Ali Ali, Heba Bathesh.
Based on the play “Many Waters or Berta and the Great Sea,” by Michael Gurevitch and Daniel Lapin.
A social satire about a middle-class couple, Salim and his wife Najdia, who try to avoid their friend Moafek who surprises them with a visit. They tell him that they need to go to the mall, and to visit Salim’s non-existent mother at the hospital, and to pay a condolence visit on an imaginary friend. Moafek insists on accompanying them.
Performances: Tuesday, October 17th at 18:00; Wednesday, October 18th at 21:30; Thursday, October 19th at 19:00. White Auditorium.
Wooden Horse
Director: Moneer Bakri
Actor: Rabeka Tlhami, Roni Halon
Playwright: Ehab Slama
Moony’s Kid Don’t Cry by Tennessee Williams, translated into the contemporary Arab society. Dreams and hopes amid a difficult reality.
Performances: Tuesday, October 17th at 20:00; Wednesday, October 18th at 19:15; Thursday, October 19th at 21:15. Divan Auditorium.
North South in Between
Playwright: Tarek Alsyed
Director: Kamel Albasha
Actors : Bayan Anter, Lama Naamni, Adeeb Sfadi, Melad Ghaleeb
Radi, Said, and the contractor – from Haifa, Jerusalem, and the West Bank – all at a building site. We learn about their lives, their behavior, and their feelings of alienation. They are united in their suffering.
Performances: Tuesday, October 17th at 20:00; Wednesday, October 18th at 19:00; Thursday, October 19th at 21:30. White Auditorium.
Guest Plays:
The guest performance is Moliere’s Scapin, translated by Misra Masri and directed by Barak Ben-David. Actors: Misra Masri, Anat Hadid, Sobry Hosary, Melena Najar, Ihab Heskia.
Monday, October 16th at 21:00. White Auditorium.
An Evening of Monologues
Namrod and Farhod
Actros: Sahel Aldbsan, Kayed Abo Alatef
Namrod is 26, Farhod is 31, they are two nomads from Rahat in the Negev who begin a journey to change the image of the Bedouin man in Israeli-Palestinian society. A comedy of errors.
Performance: Thursday, October 19th at 20:00. Open Stage.
Masrahid 2016 is produced by the Acco Theatre Center, directed by Mony Yosef and under the artistic direction of Smadar Yaaron and Khald Abu Ali. Jerias Tanos is Chair of the Board of Directors. Masrahid Festival was the initiative of Artistic Directors Usama Masri and Khald Abu Ali. The artistic committee for this year’s festival: Khald Abu Ali, Smadar Yaaron, Usama Masri, and Misra Masri. The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Acco Municipality and the Acco Theatre Center.
Information on tickets and venues may be found on the Acco Theatre Center website. To purchase tickets call: 03-9400333 or 073-2100945
Acco Theatre Center, Festival Gardens, Old City of Acco. 04-9913834; 04-9919634
