Baghdad – IA – Fatima Rahma
The advisor to the Arab Theater Authority, Youssef Aidabi, announced today, Tuesday, the printing of more than 20 texts in criticism and writing of the new play in Iraq during the 14th session of the Arab Theater Festival, stressing that Iraq is important and has great weight in regard to Arab theater.
To receive more news, subscribe to our channel on Telegram
Aydabi told the Iraqi News Agency (INA): “The 14th session of the Arab Theater Festival currently being held in Baghdad for the period from 10 to 18 January will be exceptional, as it will be held on Iraqi soil.”
He explained, “Iraq is important in regard to Arab theater, and its presence is distinctive and has great weight, in addition to the fact that it includes important and influential names.”
He went on to say: “I am one of those who call for Arab theater to move away from theater in its European form,” indicating that “Iraq and Egypt did not commit to European theatre, and tried to find a formula for popular theater close to the masses.”
Aydabi added: “Now theater has unique features and characteristics. It has also been liberated from the European formula, and it is trying to compete with the West, which has found theatrical formulas taken from the East.”
He continued, “Perhaps the Iraqi experience, as we are about to hold the Iraq Festival, has characteristics and advantages of Arab forms and spirit of theatre,” stressing that “this theater is a rival to European theatre, and there are experiments to transform and adapt performances so that they come closer to the Arab forms and spirit.”
Aydabi stated, “Arab criticism can take the lead of excellence for many names in Arab theatre, including brilliant names in Iraq as critics, and the evidence of this is that in this session we published more than 20 texts on criticism and writing of new plays in Iraq.”
