Jordan Theater Festival kicks off in honor of the late Jamil Awad
By Razan Abdelhadi, Jordan News
AMMAN — Dozens of visitors thronged the 28th edition of the Jordan Theater Festival at the Royal Cultural Center on Thursday. The festival, which will run through November 14, is showcasing plays by Jordanian and regional artists. اضافة اعلان
Held this year in memory of the late Jordanian actor Jamil Awad, the festival is set to host several Arab academics, critics, theater artists, and media professionals from countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Kuwait, and Iraq.
An array of local and Arab plays will be performed at the festival this year, including "Watan", directed by Ghanem Hamid from Iraq; "Al-Manadeel", directed by Bassam Hmaidi from Syria; "Al-Rouyah", directed by Hammadi Al-Wahaibi from Tunisia; "The Night the Spider was Killed", directed by Ilham Ghuloom from the UAE; and from Jordan, "Sanadeeq", directed by Ismat Farouk, and "Happened in Heaven", directed by Zaid Khalil Mustafa.
The festival, which coincides with the Kingdom's centenary celebrations, began its activities on Thursday with a visual display that highlighted the role of Hashemite leadership.
The festival also includes seminars on the participating theatrical performances, a seminar titled "Post-Drama Theatre", and two workshops on puppetry, directing, and acting techniques.
Fadel Jaf, who is an Iraqi director and theater coach, told Jordan News that "what makes this festival special is that it includes different activities, in addition to different and important Arab theatrical performances."
Jaf added that he "participated in one of the seminars, and I believe that it was a great opportunity for me as a coach and for all the participants who are passionate about the arts."
"It is amazing how in spite of all the activities and performances, everyone is adhering to the social distancing and masks," he said.
For her part, actress Suhair Fahed, who is one of the festival's guests, said in remarks to Jordan News that "the festival has reached an important level in Jordan and even in the Arab world."
She stated that "it is worth mentioning that these types of festivals contribute to the development of creativity among local and even Arab artists."
"The diversity that is presented in this festival is important," she said. "It teaches artists to learn from different forms of arts. I believe that the festival succeeds in presenting beautiful artworks always."
At the festival, Jordanian choir "Nagham" gave several performances on Thursday, which were, according to the attendants, successful, reviving old Arab poems through modern tunes.
Artist Mustafa Shashaa, the maestro of the choir, told Jordan News that "this festival is a golden opportunity for all artists to shine again, especially with the hard conditions the country has been facing for more than a year with the COVID pandemic."
The artist contended that "we have been practicing for our musical performance for too long, even during the lockdowns. We did not stop."
He said that she hopes "that the coming days hold nothing but the best for everyone. We deserve to have nice festivals just like this one to keep up with the lovely talents we have."
Esmat Farouq, the director of the Jordanian play "Sanadeeq", said in remarks to Jordan News that "I am proud to be taking part in this important festival. It is a great opportunity to showcase our performances among important Arab artists and directors."
Royal Cultural Center
Jordan Theater Festival
Jamil Awad