[LCM Articles] masrah al medina

[Sarah Rogers]

from Nidal Ashqar of Masrah al Madina:

DREAMS UNDER FIRE – AL MADINA THEATRE

Even in these difficult times that Lebanon is going
through, revisited 
with 
all too familiar scenes of terror and anger; the
displacement of 
hundreds of 
families, the theatre must retaliate during wartime as
it did in peace.  
This involvement is not new, it was used by American
protesters during 
the 
Vietnam War (Bread and Puppet Theatre) where bread was
distributed to 
the 
audience during the spectacle, stressing the already
communal aspect of 
theatre, but further including the audience in its
protest.

Apart from the apparent destruction inflicted by the
Israelis which we 
can 
see on television, the rubble of infrastructure, there
is torment that 
remains unseen by the press, which cannot be
documented because it has 
yet 
to show its face.  It will when the children who are
now being forced 
to 
leave one makeshift home after another, grow up,
creating another 
generation 
of victims.

War interrupts the imagination, prioritizes reality. 
It's difficult 
enough 
for adults to dream under fire, but for petrified
children the luxury 
is 
impossible.  Theatre is the only place in these
circumstances of an 
enduring 
collective imagination.  The children in Al Madina
Theatre will be 
allowed 
to resume being children.  They can take part in
different workshops 
that 
will nurture their creativity and allow them to
forget, if only 
momentarily, 
the horrors just outside the door.  In that time they
might remember to 
hope 
and to conceive of tomorrow not just as another day to
survive but also 
to 
live.

With the help of the theatre's supporters, Mohammad
Farhat - the 
theatre's 
head technician - has organized daily workshops
starting at 10:00 am 
including painting, theatre, puppet making,
storytelling, educational 
programs, and films for children and adults.
Many artists are participating in the workshop
including Mona Knio, 
Chérif 
Abdelnour, Hania Mroué, Hicham Kayéd, Moataz Dajjani
and Nagy Souraty.

We invite anybody with children's books, drawing
crayons, pencils, 
papers, 
toys or board games to spare to please send these
items to Al Madina 
Theatre.

For more information contact Mohammad Farhat, the
event organizer at 
00961 1 
75 30 10/11(Beirut). Email: (masmad at cyberia.net.lb) or
Jessy Kossaify 
at 
0033 6 12 87 20 25 (Paris). Email:
(jkossaify at hotmail.com)
You can contact Nidal Al Achkar at 0033 6 84 87 32 04
(Paris). Email: 
(nidalalachkar at hotmail.fr)

The Asoociation of Al Madina Theatre for Art and
Culture
Hamra Street, Saroulla Bldg
Beirut – Lebanon
Phone: 00961 1 75 30 10 / 11
masmad at cyberia.net.lb


Mona Knio, key member of the board of trustees wrote
me today from 
Beirut:

I saw the most beautiful thing this morning in Masrah
AlMadina: so many
children drawing on the floor and making masks in Joan
Littlewood 
rehearsal
room and more children creating something on stage.
Masrah AlMadina is 
a
little dream oasis amidst all the fire.
Mohamad is doing a great net working job with the
different 
organizations to
get things going.
Lots of love to you all
Mona



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