About this book
It is only in fairly recent times that Arab writers have turned their hands to the theater. This collection of nineteen short plays is evidence of the remarkable strides made as numerous playwrights have come to grips with the problems and potential involved with this genre.
The essence of the collection is its sheer variety. The subject matter ranges from the horrors of a political prison camp to the comic tribulations of furtive lovers trapped in a minefield, from historical fable to the world of official bureaucracy, while dramatic treatments range from the conventional to the highly experimental, some using surreal techniques- now disturbing, now hilariously amusing. Many of the plays use humor or pungent satire to address distinctively Arab issues and problems, whether these have their source outside or inside the Arab world itself.
The collection gives a valuable insight into a fast-changing and increasingly distinctive area of modern Arabic literature.
Featured authors and plays:
Yusuf al-‘Ani – Where the Power Lies
Fateh Azzam and others – Ansar
Samia Qazmouz Bakri – The Alley
Mahmoud Diyab – Men Have Heads
Ahmad Ibrahim al-Fagih – The Singing of the Stars
Alfred Farag – The Person
Tawfiq al-Hakim – Boss Kanduz’s Apartment Building
Tawfiq al-Hakim – War and Peace
Jamal Abu Hamdan – Actress J’s Burial Night
Walid Ikhlasi – Pleasure Club 21
Riad Ismat – Was Dinner Good, Dear Sister?
Raymond Jbarra – The Traveler
Sultan Ben Muhammad al-Qasimi – The Return of Hulegu
‘Ali Salim – The Coffee Bar
Mamduh Udwan – The Mask
Mamduh Udwan – Reflections of a Garbage Collector
Sa’d al-Din Wahba – The Height of Wisdom
Sa’dallah Wannus – The Glass Cafe
Sa’dallah Wannus – The King’s Elephant