Zarqa Summer Arab Theater Festival Kicks Off with Participation of Six Countries
Amman3 min read
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Under the patronage of Minister of Culture Mustafa Rawashdeh, the 24th edition of the Zarqa Summer Arab Theater Festival, organized by the Zarqa Theater Arts Troupe, kicked off yesterday evening, Saturday. The festival will continue until September 18 at the King Abdullah II Cultural Center theater and halls in Zarqa, with the participation of six Arab countries.
The current edition features Jordan, Palestine, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and the Sultanate of Oman, presenting six theatrical performances competing for the festival's awards, alongside critical sessions, an intellectual symposium, and cultural and honorary events.
The festival opened with the play "On the Verge of Oblivion" from the Sultanate of Oman. Performances will continue throughout the festival days with Tunisia presenting "Bell," Iraq presenting "Children of the Earth," Saudi Arabia presenting "Until Hope Fades," and Palestine presenting "Goods," with the competitive performances concluding next Thursday with the Jordanian play "Mirage."
Artist Abeer Issa chairs the festival's supreme committee, which includes Zarqa Governorate Culture Director Mohammad Al-Zoubi, Executive Director of the Festival artist Nasser Abu Basha, Dr. Dima Sweidan, Ruwaida Kasasbeh from the Greater Amman Municipality, Festival Director and director Khaled Al-Maslamani, and Festival Coordinator Mohammad Abu Dayyeh.
The jury, chaired by artist Zeinati Qudsia and including Dr. Najwa Qandaqji and Egyptian director Adel Hassan, is responsible for evaluating the participating performances and selecting the winning works, with results to be announced and awards distributed during the closing ceremony.
During the opening ceremony, the festival honors Iraqi artist and director Dr. Jawad Al-Assadi and Jordanian producer Issam Hajjawi in recognition of their careers and contributions to the Arab and Jordanian artistic and cultural scene.
The festival's cultural program includes a symposium titled "The Role of Theatrical Performance in Promoting National and Arab Values in Their Human Dimension," featuring Dr. Mukhled Al-Zyoudi from Jordan, artist Osama Al-Masri from Palestine, and director Adel Hassan from Egypt, moderated by journalist Rasmi Mahasneh, in addition to critical sessions accompanying the theatrical performances.
The festival's accompanying program also includes three theatrical performances at the Zaha Cultural Center in Amman, in cooperation with the Greater Amman Municipality, allowing the capital's audience to follow a number of the participating Arab performances.
The 24th edition of the Zarqa Summer Arab Theater Festival comes within the framework of efforts to strengthen the presence of Arab theater, support young talent, and open a space for cultural and artistic exchange among Arab theater practitioners, thereby enhancing Zarqa's position in the Jordanian and Arab theatrical scene.
