Masrahid 2010

0
1626
views

Masrahid 2010 – Festival of monodramas in Arabic, will take place from July 27 – July 29, 2010 in Acco.

This is the 9th consecutive year of the festival, which was initiated and is produced by the Acco Theatre Center. It is the first and only theatre festival in the Arabic language that reflects the broad spectrum of Palestinian Israelis working in theatre arts. The festival nurtures emerging talents and supports the development of new work by established artists.

Five new monodramas will premiere at the festival alongside performances that combine classical Western music with Arabic music, electronic music with an Arab flavor, video art, a symposium – “Is Monodrama Theatre?” led by Dr. Radi Shehada, an evening of poetry with the poet Marwan Makhoul, staged storytelling and encounters between the audience and the artists.

The festival directors Smadar Yaaron, Piras Rubi, and Haled Abu Ali note that “Each year the festival reflects the mood of the Arab citizens of the State of Israel through original artistic creation and touching on a variety of social, political and personal subjects. This year the emphasis is primarily on plays that involve social issues – both personal and universal, and political issues in the broader sense of the term. There is concrete internal criticism of Arab society, looking inward to it’s customs, problems, weak areas in community management and the difficult relations between women and men (as in the play “The Bride” by Walid Eyov, and “Press Conference” by Osama Masri).”

“Another aspect of the plays is their critical look at the different social – governmental institutions: prisons, mental hospitals, and political leadership (in plays such as “Hamlet and the Machine” by Samekh Higazi and “Press Conference”). Another theme is the “refugee” as a symbol of an existential state, born of the Nakba but also relating to universal themes of exile, as in the play “Shemot” by Roy Rashkes.”

Plays Participating in the Competition:

Press Conference

Press Conference by Osama Masri, directed by Misra Masri, and performed by Iman Nahas, produced by Fringe Theatre Ensemble, Nazareth. Dedicated to Masri’s father, the play tells the story of a young man from Acco, whose madness leads him to see and interpret reality from a very subjective perspective.

Hamlet and the Machine
Inspired by Shakespeare, Heiner Moller and Maduch Aluwan, adapted and directed by Samech Higazi, performed by Ihav Salame. “In this work I try to show the paradox of the intellectual, at a time when the government creates corruption and political, economic and cultural prostitution and the people create “castrated Hamlets”.

The Bride by Walid Eyov, directed by Mahmud Okasha, performed by Melak Abu Cnaan. The play confronts the social hypocrisy of the society called “Israeli Arabs” and focuses primarily on the phenomenon of “honor killings”.

The Prisoner by Naif Faiz Khouri, directed by Afif Shlewet, performed by Halil Kadoura. How does the law treat the innocent and the accused and is the treatment equal in different situations, whether secret or public?

Shemot (Names)

Shemot (Hebrew: names) by Roy Rashkas, directed by Adi Aduan, performed by Bian Antir. A universal refugee, wanders through the world looking for his name and home.

Special events:
An exhibit of ceramic sculpture by Nada Natour: “With a Trembling Hand”. Natour decided to confront Parkinson’s Disease through art and ceramic sculpture, in order to express her feelings and perspective on life and her belief that the incomplete, the broken and the distorted have the right to exist, and they can be beautiful.

Video art “This is what I think right now…and I have nothing to add” by Iyas Natour, will be screened on the wall of Acco prison, in the festival gardens.

Symposium: “Is Monodrama Theatre?” Dr. Radi Shehada – playwright, director and actor, Director of the Al-Siera Theatre, founder of the Al-Hadwati Theatre in Jerusalem, will discuss the essence of the monodrama.

Poet Marwan Makhoul, whose play – Not Noah’s Ship won the award for Best Play at Masrahid 2009,  will read his poems with musical accompaniment, in which the words and music become one. Makhoul was born in Peki’in in 1979 and his poems focus on social issues and the Jewish-Palestinian conflict in Israel. 

In addition to the plays in the monodrama competition, there are guest productions:

Sadat and the Masters by Nagi Dahar, adapted and directed by Hisham Saliman, performed by Iyad Shiti and produced by the Fringe Theatre Ensemble – Nazareth. A Palestinian actor portrays the Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat, and wonders during rehearsals whether to return to the past or touch upon the realities of Arab society here and now.

The Jar of Oil by Osama Masri, directed by Simion Kolko, performed by Omima Sarhan and Biyan Antir, produced by Al Nikab Theatre. A collection of local and international folk tales, told by an Acco merchant, exiled with his family in 1948 to Gaza. He returns to Acco after several years and tries to sell his stories to a woman from the Galilee in exchange for food and water.

Anjali by Zoe Mor and Haled Abu Ali, directed by Haled Abu Ali, and performed by Zoe Mor. Anjali, the gypsy from Ragastan returns in dreams to the older Anjali. The love and longing of Zoe Mor for her previous life and gypsy roots return in music and dance.

Afif Shlewet/Photo: Shalev Mann

Confessions of a Political Whore, winner of the 2002 Masrahid Festival, written and performed by Afif Shlewet, directed by Maher Farag and produced by Al Ufuk Theatre. Shalyot has written a powerful play which reveals the difficulties of Arab Palestinian citizens in Israel with humor and intelligence. A Hebrew version of this play was presented in the 2010 Theatronetto festival.

The Masrahid Festival will open on Tuesday, July 27 with a performance of Amal Murkus and her band, under the musical direction of Nissim Dekuar. A performance of guest singers Adnan Hatib, Said Trabia and Hitam Halaila and stand-up comedy performance by Iman Nahas will close the evening. Festival President and Head of the Board of Directors is Judge (ret.) Faras Falah, founder and Artistic Director Osama Masri. Masrahid 2010 Directors: Smadar Yaaron, Piras Rubi, Haled Abu Ali. Produced by The Acco Theatre Center, the festival production managers are Moti Tamam and Ruli Hilwi. The Masrahid Festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Sport, the Authority for the Development of the Galilee, Culture for Israel, the Marc Rich Foundation, the Municipality of Acco and the Society for the Development of the Old City Acco. Performances will take place in the Old City of Acco, 1 Weizman Street. For additional information: 04-991634, www.acco-tc.com

AYELET DEKEL