Jordan Times
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Joint US-Jordanian musical to
showcase richness, diversity of Arab culture
Discussions on politics, religion and social issues are held to bring the global
community together, to have them gain a deeper insight into diverse cultures.
Universities may offer educational courses on foreign cultures, and schools may
include it in their curriculum, but where is the fun in that?
With all the recent political developments between the US and the Middle East,
many Americans tend to adhere to the stereotypes attacking the Arab nations,
which do little to instil appreciation of the richness and diversity of Arab
culture.
However, a joint musical production between the Noor Al Hussein Foundation's
Performing Arts Centre (PAC) in Jordan and the famed John F. Kennedy Centre for
the Performing Arts in Washington DC, is bent on changing that.
“Walking the Winds: Arabian Tales,” a “story theatre” style musical, is due to
open in Washington in April 2006. The production will be the Kennedy Centre's
first international collaboration on a play for young people and families.
PAC Director Lina Attel and Dierdre Lavrakas, the project director from the
Kennedy Centre will co-direct the musical.
Their association dates back to 1991, when Lavrakas visited Jordan through the
US embassy and was instantly intrigued by Attel's passion for theatre.
The two explained that their relationship sustained itself through their similar
approaches to theatre and their unified dream to direct a production that
projects the Arab culture, as it truly is.
According to Lavrakas, the production focuses on reflecting the history,
legends, story-telling and musical traditions of the Arab people. The one-hour
musical will combine “five to eight dramatic tales or poems, between five and 10
minutes in length.” The production will be jointly written, directed,
choreographed and designed by Jordanian and American artists, she said.
“This project is very valuable to us,” said Attel, explaining that collaboration
with the Kennedy Centre is a blessing because of its renowned reputation as a
leader in the US in its educational programmes. She added that the production
will not be for the sole purpose of entertainment, but will have an educational
dimension as well, which is something that international theatre festivals
cannot offer.
“[The production] will be an exciting and dynamic addition to the Kennedy
Centre's 2005-2006 season, the inaugural season of the Family Theatre, a new
theatre devoted to performances for young people and families,” Darrel Ayers,
vice president of education at the Kennedy Centre said in a recent statement.
Attel and the project's dance choreographer will go to Washington in November to
audition American actors and performers for the production. The cast will
include around four professional actors and 10 young dancers and singers from
the US and two actors from Jordan.
The songs and stories in the production will be written by Jordanian composers,
said Lavrakas, adding that after the selected stories are translated, they will
be sent to Lorrie Brookes, a professor and drama writer at New York University,
for the dramatisation of the narratives.
Lavrakas directed a three-day workshop for Jordanian actors and writers in PAC
last week. The training focused on story writing techniques and auditions for
actors and actresses.
According to Attel, an Arabic version of the production will be staged in Jordan
following its performance season in Washington.