Arab theatrical circles are abuzz across digital communication platforms these days with talk about the “Riyadh Theater Festival” in its first session, which aims to popularize theatrical presence as a social missionary achievement, one of the aspects of which is revolutionizing cultural work in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Arab world in thought and practice, which comes at the core of the manifestations of the pioneering Vision 2030. To support culture and arts, under the patronage of Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Minister of Culture, and through the “Theatre and Performing Arts Authority,” headed by Sultan Al-Bazei, which is directly responsible for organizing this event designated for Saudi theater groups only. The well-known Saudi theater actor Abdullah Al-Sanani, director of the festival, sets out with great passion and enthusiasm to complete his arduous mission, confirming the presence of Saudi theater at the Arab and international levels, and its lofty social goals in renewing the Arab cultural scene. The first phase of it began last June 19 by receiving applications from theater groups that wish to participate, which amounted to more than Of the seventy applications, they were submitted to a jury to sort their texts using a coding mechanism to choose the best among them. Twenty groups qualified among them and began presenting their works from October 10 to November 13, at a rate of five performances for each group in the region to which it belongs and over an eight-month period. Cities in the Kingdom, which provides the opportunity to encourage the audience to interact, get to know and meet with theater makers, and move away from the centralization of theatrical work that marginalizes the peripheries and areas far from the capital, with reference to the generous support that the Authority provided to these groups at a rate of 300 thousand Saudi riyals for each to equip their theaters and prepare properly. It is appropriate for the festival, and to be on the same level of equal competition among them. In the second stage, the twenty teams fought the final qualifying battle to choose ten proposals, one proposal from each, which will be entered into the official competition to compete for 14 prizes during the days of the festival, which will be held in Riyadh from December 13 to 24 at the Convention Center in Princess Noura bint Abdul Rahman University, which has always hosted the most important Arab and international theatrical performances, including “Jameel and Buthaina” by the ancient Caracalla troupe on the university stage during June last year in a modern vision that reinterprets this historical event into a highly artistic Lebanese work. As for the ten performances that qualified for the competition, they are: “Sea” by the Al-Ahsa Culture and Arts Association Band, “Al-Hijr” by the First Leap Club Band, “Vanguard of Hajar” by the Close Media Band, “Slap” by the Kalos Band, “The Devil’s Memory” by the Vision Band, “Light” by the Vision Band. Taif Theater, “Newspaper Seller” by Fun Box Ensemble, “Yellow Memory” by Nawras Ensemble, “Closed Roundabout” by Masma Theater Club, “The Last Shadow” by Al Watan Theater Ensemble. In this context, it is useful to point out the criteria that will be adopted to select the teams, which are quality and technical competence, presenting serious problematic topics that are developed in their treatment theatrically, and achieving integration between the text and the show, which convinces the audience and provides an attractive element that draws them to the hall, provided that the show is new and has not been previously produced, while making it possible to There is room for presenting texts that have previously crossed over to the stage, but with a new directorial vision that is necessary, and far from monodrama or children’s theatre. As for the jury, it is composed of Nidal Al-Ashqar (Lebanon), Ghassan Massoud (Syria), Fahd Al-Muthen (Kuwait), and Saleh Zamanan (Saudi Arabia). Medhat Al-Kashef (Egypt). In addition, Tunisia will be the guest of honor for this first session, and the play “Mayrawsh” will be presented, with the rich diversity that the festival will provide in schools and theatrical forms that meet the needs of the aesthetic tastes of the recipient audience, in addition to hosting a large number of great stars of Arab playwrights who will have them. Interventions about their experiences and theatrical history in attendance with students and devotees of theatrical art to interact and benefit from inside and outside the Kingdom, with a surprise “Master Class for Experts”, applied training workshops, and three intellectual and critical seminars: the first on international theatre, the second on Arab theatre, and the third on Saudi theatre. As for the person honored for this session, he is the late Saudi playwright Muhammad Al-Othaim (1950 – 2018). He is also a poet, a veteran journalist, and a university professor. He enriched the theatrical library with more than 45 texts, and wrote two serials and four books, three of which are in theater and criticism, and the fourth is in the novel genre, with a presentation. One of his texts on stage, the printing of a draft of a book he wrote that had never been published before, an art exhibition, and a documentary about his life and achievements as one of the pioneers of Saudi theater in the modern era. In such a pioneering approach, the Riyadh Theater Festival also aims to create a market for the theater industry that opens the door to mutual acquaintance and cooperation in order to exchange experiences and information and produce theatrical works and activities, each with its specialization and capabilities, prompting us to assert that theater today is advancing confidently into the ranks of international and global theaters starting from the cities of… The Arabian Gulf.
Al-Hussam Mohieddin
