“Together we celebrate theater… Together we revive Baghdad” — this is the slogan of the sixth edition of the Baghdad International Theater Festival, which will kick off on October 10 and run until October 16, featuring the participation of Arab and international theater troupes.
This year’s edition is dedicated to the Iraqi playwright Maimon Al-Khalidi. The festival administration has announced the list of Arab and international theatrical performances included in this year’s program, comprising 13 plays to be staged across the National Theater, Al-Rasheed Theater, and Al-Mansour Theater.
🟠 Arab Performances (5 plays):
- From Morocco: “We Drink Then”, presented by the Cultural Center – City Stars troupe, written by Qasim Matroud and directed by Khaled Al-Zwaishi.
- From Tunisia: “Jacaranda”, presented by the Tunisian National Theater, written by Abdel Halim Masoud and directed by Nizar Al-Saeedi.
- From the UAE: “Coastal Limp”, presented by the Umm Al Quwain National Theater, written by Salem Al-Hatawi and directed by Issa Kaid.
- From Lebanon: “Two at Night”, presented by Jackbos Production, written and directed by Samer Hanna.
- From Palestine: “Feathers”, presented by Shaden Contemporary Dance Company, written and directed by Shaden Abu Al-Asal.
🟣 International Performances (7 plays):
- From Germany: “Behind God’s Feet”
- From India: “The Weaving Dance”
- From Iran: “Particles of Chaos”
- From Ukraine: “The Man Outside”, adapted from the play of the same name by German writer Wolfgang Borchert, a post-war German literary classic.
- From Poland: “Silence in Troy”
- From Italy: “Empty Ground”
- From Spain: “Garden of the Hesperides”, a Spanish-Moroccan production inspired by the myth of the Hesperides in Greek mythology.
The list of Arab and international participants has been announced, while the schedule of Iraqi performances will be released at a later date. The festival administration had opened submissions for the sixth edition from early May until early August, stipulating that each theater troupe should consist of no more than ten members.
It is worth noting that the fifth edition of the festival was held under the slogan “Theater Illuminates Life” and was dedicated to the Iraqi writer and academic Shafiq Al-Mahdi.