Five classical Arabic plays will be featured at the Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre, to be held from October 19.

The seventh edition of the festival is an initiative by the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, aimed at nurturing and promoting Emirati and UAE-based theatre talent and will be held at the Cultural and Scientific Association in Al Mamzar, said a statement.
 
The plays vying for top honours include ‘Jasmine Blossom’ by the Youth Theatre for the Arts; ‘Drama Beggars’ by Bani Yas Theatre; ‘Another Face’ by Al Ahli Theatre; ‘Domino’ by Dubai National Theatre; and ‘Morning and Evening’ by the National Theatre of Ras Al Khaimah.

The selection and supervision committee for the festival, headed by producer Hassan Ragab, and comprising theatre actor Abdullah Saleh, industry professional and ‘Personality of the Year’ at the 2011 edition, Yahya Al-Haj, and actor, screenwriter and author Ibrahim Salem, shortlisted five of 10 plays submitted this year to the festival.

Saeed Al Nabouda, acting director general, Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, said: “With a focus on the authority’s mandate to nurture and promote the Arabic language, this year, the Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre will present a showcase of classical Arabic plays that underline the growth and maturity of our burgeoning theatre industry.”

Dubai Culture will also showcase a guest performance on October 19, by specially-abled actors, called Bab Al Baraha, which depicts the story of four old disabled men who live in an elderly home. Nurse Fatma who supervises them happens to share her sadness with their misery particularly after she has become a spinster.

‘Drama Beggars,’ directed by Hameed Al Mahri of Bani Yas Theatre, is the story of two beggars who live in filth, when they encounter a thief looking for a place to hide and will be showcased on October 20.

Written by Ahmad Majid and directed by Morteza Juma, ‘Jasmine Blossom’ is a tale of a couple stuck between their miserable past and unforeseen future; yet, they portray that love conquers all hurdles. The play will take place on October 22.

Amal, a spinster working in a ministry suffers from loneliness after the passing of her parents. She visualises herself being rescued from her misery by her groom, only to find that she has entered a state of delusion, in ‘Another Face,’ which will take place on October 23.

‘Morning and Evening’ reveals the story of two people who meet accidently. Without knowing what their future holds, the play is a self-exploration of human beings that face repression and will be showcased on October 24. Marwan Abdullah Saleh’s ‘Domino’ takes place in a large dominoes box that constantly portrays movement and it will played on October 25.

The festival will be open to a wider audience by providing simultaneous translations of all the selected plays and will play its part in emphasizing the importance of understanding and appreciating theatre through critiquing sessions, which will be held after each performance. - TradeArabia News Service