Theatre de Beyrouth statement of Purpose

Since its opening in 1965, and until its closing, [at] (..) the onset of the Lebanese civil war, the Theatre de Beyrouth was a [haven] (..) for Lebanese artists to experiment with new forms of expression in drama and other performing arts.

When the Theatre (..) re-opened in 1992, its mission [became also to be ] (..) a haven for the struggle for justice, freedom of expression, and democracy. In addition to the (..) plays, film festivals, and exhibitions [organized] for the past 5 years, the Theatre has been holding a series of lectures, debate[s,] panels and conferences promoting critical thinking (..).

(..) The directors of the Theatre de Beyrouth have decided to devote the major part of their program for the 1998 season to the 50th [anniversary of the] 'Nakba', the tragedy of Palestine. This commemoration is intended to be an important cultural and intellectual landmark, where we shall evaluate the past, and examine possibilities for a future beyond defeat.

This "Palestinian season" (..) will represent a landmark in contemporary cultural & intellectual life in the Arab world and its bearings on our collective memory and our reality. (..) The sole guarantees for a culture's authenticity and survival lies in its capacity at critical thinking, its staunch denial of burying its memory, and its power to envision a future for itself. The sole guarantees for peace.

(..) 50 years ago, the State of Israel was founded on the ruins of another state that was not given an opportunity for independence, self determination & self rule. In the year 1948, at the outcome of an Arab-Israeli war, the Palestinians were expelled from their land, and the State of Israel was established. (..) For the last 50 years, the land of Palestine, and its neighboring Arab regions have been the bloody arena for wars, conflicts and uprisings. On the occasion of the 50th commemoration of the 'Nakba', the Theatre de Beyrouth organizes a Palestinian cultural season [comprising] (..) a series of activities and events with the aim of conducting a critical reading of the past 50 years, & a critical assessment of the current Arab and Israeli situations. These activities aim to bring forth a vision for a future less heavy with defeat, & the emergence of a new Palestinian & Arab consciousness at this critical juncture of the question of Palestine and the Arab Israeli conflict. This Palestinian cultural season will be organized along 5 principal series of events:

1- Lecture Series: (..) Prominent intellectuals from the Arab world & beyond will be invited to shed light on the 50-year conflict and its future, and its intellectual, cultural and political outcomes. (..) [Invited to speak are]: Constantin Zurayq, Edward Saïd, Haydar Abdel-Shafi, Eqbal Ahmad, Noam Chomsky, Mohammad Hassaneyn Haikal, & Ghassan Tueini.

2- Poetry readings: (..) Hosting 4 major poets from the Arab world: Mahmoud Darwish (..) - Accompanied by Marcel Khalifeh on the `Oud-, Adonis, & Sa'adi Yussef.

3- Symposia: (..) The first symposium is entitled "Image of the Self / Image of the Other". (..) [It deals with] the impact of the conflict on various aspects of culture, how the Arab perceives the Israeli, and how the Israeli perceives the Arab, in literature, cinema, architecture, & history. The second (..) is entitled "The Future of the Arab-Israeli Conflict". (..) It seeks to discuss the sociological, economic (..) and political consequences of the 50 year-old conflict, with a focus on the contradictions of contemporary Arab societies and the contradictions inherent to Israeli society, & the problematic of self-rule.

4- Theatrical performances: (..) [Featuring companies] (..) from Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, & Tunisia, (..) [focusing] on the question of Palestine. To name a few: "The Pess-optimist" adapted for stage by Mohammad Bakri, [adapted from] (..) Emile Habibi's novel of the same title, "The Usurpation" (or "al-Ightissab"), by Saadallah Wannous, directed by Jawad al-Assadi; and a children's play, adapted for the stage by Najla Jurayssati-Khoury, inspired by the Zakariyyah Tamer children's short story: "Home".

5- Film Screenings: (..) Selection of European and Arab films (documentaries & fiction films) on Palestine, as well as films by Palestinian filmmakers. Prominent directors from Palestine & the Arab world will be invited to attend screenings & engage in debates (..) with the audience.

In addition to these series of events, 2 exhibitions are planned, the first is a collective exhibition of works by artists from Lebanon and the Arab world, intended as a tribute to, and a reflection on, (..) the question of Palestine; and the second is an anthology of Palestinian posters, and posters produced for the Palestinian struggle. Also M. Khalifeh will be giving concerts (..) entitled "A Song on the Mind" ("Fil bal 'Ughniya").

This Palestinian Season will be inaugurated on the eve of March the 30th 1998, (..) "Land Day" (..), with a candle vigil procession to [the] Sabra & Chatila camps martyrs' [cemetery] (..). The official inauguration of the season will be on the eve of the next day with the poetry recital by Mahmoud Darwish, and its conclusion with a lecture by Edward Said. The calendar of events spans over the months of April, May and June of 1998.