Theater Nights Festival to kick off today in Riyadh

JEDDAH: The Theater Festival begins Friday evening at the King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh as part of its cultural program this year.

The festival will be held over three days with a heavy theatrical and media presence.

The event begins with remarks from the center’s general supervisor, Muhammed Al- Seif. The main event on Friday “Human Madness” by the Areen group.

Al- Seif said the festival is open to public with a section allocated for women. The said the festival, including theatrical performances, is one of the center’s efforts that fall in the interest of the Saudi theater and for performers who are looking for venues to present their work.

The shows include the participation of King Faisal University in a play titled is “Corona,” which will be performed on Saturday. Another play, “Ala Wein?” is scheduled Sunday. Showtimes are 8 p.m.

The festival includes specialized theater workshops held on Saturday and Sunday, and divided into four panel discussions. The first panel addresses the “Theatrical Text — Author’s Crisis” with writers Abdulaziz Al- Samail and Fahd Rida Al- Harithi participating. The second panel will discuss experiences of Arab directors in the Saudi theater with directors Sobhi Youssef and Samaan Al- Aani. A third panel addresses “The Product and the Saudi Theater: A Material or Artistic Relationship” with artist Ali Ibrahim and director Khalid Al- Baz.

The fourth panel covers “The school theater … between absence and attendance” with writer Mohammed Al-Suhaimi and Ahmad Al- Sarawi. Naif Al- Biqami will moderate the discussion.