Tunisia hosts 'Theatre Without Borders'

2009-11-16

This year's Carthage Theatre Days are in full swing, with performances from across the Arab world and Africa.

By Mona Yahia for Magharebia in Tunis – 16/11/09

[Mona Yahia] Tunisian Culture Minister Mohamed Abd Raouf Basti (centre) poses with actors from Theatre Manifesto Essourour.

Tunisian audiences are enjoying the delights of the 14th Carthage Theatre Days, offering shows and other events to fans of the dramatic arts through November 22nd. The Ministry of Culture organises the festival every other year, alternating with the Carthage Film Festival.

This year's inauguration ceremony drew a large crowd, including a good number of theatre professionals. The spectacle at the Colisee Theatre brought together some 160 professionals from the fields of dance, video and stage acting, and even actors from the Tunisian play "Brouva".

"I think that the Tunisian theatrical experiment remains one of the most important Arab experiments, which offers a theatrical alternative in the Arab world," noted Tunisian performer Jaafar Guesmi.

In a press conference last Wednesday in Tunis, festival director Mohammed Idriss revealed that the theme of this year's event would be "Theatre Without Borders", illustrating the accommodating nature of the art.

Idriss said the festival would be exceptional this year, as it coincides with the centennial celebration of Tunisian theatre.

Equally notable is the participation of Arab and African states, as well as hosted theatres, totalling 30 participating countries, with 62 troupes performing 78 plays in ten theatres.

Featured plays at the festival are divided into four thematic groups: Presence, Opening, Discovery and Panorama.

"Panorama" consists of dramatic works from countries across the Maghreb and the Arab world, as well as Senegal, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Germany.

Plays in the "Opening" group feature diverse artistic expression and new technology, as well as new trends in writing and technical interpretation.

The third category, "Discovery", highlights experimental acting techniques and visual presentation.

"Panorama" is a showcase of Tunisian plays.

Speaking at the opening ceremonies, Culture Minister Abd Raouf Basti praised the organisers for illustrating the innovative and open nature of Tunisian theatre.

Theatres in Tunis welcomed large crowds of theatre lovers and foreign guests, who came to keep abreast of the latest trends and discuss issues related to the fourth art.

Libyan artist Salwa Al Magsabi said she was scheduled to perform in the play "Taqalob". Fresh from a tour of the Arab world, Al Magsabi said: "Theatre is taking strides in Libya; the Theatre Institute boasts a number of great Libyan and Iraqi professors".

Germany participated in the festival for the first time this year, staging a production last Thursday of "Danton's Death", about the other side of the French Revolution, marked by killing and ideological and political conflict. The play, written by Georg Büchner (1813-1837), was first performed in 1903.

Tunisian actor Raouf Ben Amour said the festival programme was rich, and that there were many bold theatrical experiments. The concluding soiree will feature a Moroccan play called "Love Story".