Amman, July 13 (Petra) – The 20th edition of the International Festival of Liberal Theater and the 6th Youth Track of the festival kicked off Sunday evening at the Hussein Cultural Center, organized by the Greater Amman Municipality under the banner “Theater is a Triumph for Life” and a Tribute to the Late Artist Renad Thalji.”

The opening ceremony, attended by Minister of Culture Mustafa Rawashdeh and held in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and the Greater Amman Municipality with support from the Arab Theatre Institute and the Jordan Kuwait Bank marked the beginning of the week-long event that brings together local, regional, and international theatrical talent.

Festival Director Ali Olayan described the launch as a hard-earned moment, delayed by recent regional circumstances. He emphasized the festival’s aim to keep theater a guiding light toward truth.

The ceremony included a commemorative film celebrating 25 years of the Liberal Theater Troupe and its accomplishments, along with a tribute to Thalji. Cultural figures in attendance included Secretary-General of the Ministry of Culture Nidal Ayasrah, President of the Jordanian Artists Association Mohammad Youssef Al-Abbadi, and Secretary-General of the Arab Theatre Institute Ismail Abdullah.

Minister Rawashdeh and Director Al-Abbadi presented honorary shields to several prominent figures, including Mohammad Saif Al-Afkham, President of the International Theater Institute and Director of the Fujairah International Monodrama Festival; Jordanian director Mohammad Al-Dhmour; Iraqi Artists Syndicate head Jabbar Joudi; and playwright Ismail Abdullah.

A musical-theatrical performance followed, produced by the Liberal Theater Troupe in collaboration with the Music Arts Association. Directed by Eyad Shatnawi and written by Olayan, the performance featured actors Ishaq Elias and Nagham Batarseh, and vocalists Rami Shafiq, Ghada Abbasi, and Nancy Petro.

Later in the evening, the Youth Track began with the play The Jubilee, directed by Dalia Momani, at Al-Hangar Theater in Ras Al-Ain.

Festival activities will run across the Hussein Cultural Center and Al-Hangar, with participation from theatrical troupes representing Jordan, Syria, Tunisia, Morocco, Oman, and Kuwait. Competitions will take place across several tracks local, youth, and international.

In the international competition, troupes will compete for the Liberal Theater Gold and Silver Awards for Best Integrated Play, the Yasser Al-Masri Best Actor Award, the Renad Thalji Best Actress Award, the Samir Khawaldeh Best Director Award, Best Scenography, and a Special Jury Prize.

Performing groups include Syria’s 970*970 directed by Zein Tayyar, Tunisia’s La Mode by Taher Ben Arabi, Morocco’s The Wall – The Light Itself is Darker by Yassin Ahjam, Oman’s The Tempest by Adi Al-Shanfari, Kuwait’s A Corpse on the Sidewalk by Musab Al-Salem, and Jordan’s Hammam Al-Hana by Hesham Sweidan.

The international jury is chaired by author Haza’ Al-Barari and includes Palestinian actress Areen Omari, Iraqi academic Suha Salem, Italian professor Salvatore Pitonti, and Syrian actor Taysir Idris.

Special guests include Egyptian actors Sherry Adel and Alaa Morsi, Iraqi actor Aziz Khayoun, Emirati actor Abdullah Rashid, and Saudi theater figure Sami Al-Jamaan.

The festival will also feature a youth workshop titled “Basic Principles of Interactive Theater,” led by Syrian actress and trainer Enas Husseina, and several honors for regional theater figures.

Three panel discussions will take place during the festival: one exploring the Arab experience in the International Theater Institute (featuring Al-Afkham), another reviewing 25 years of the Liberal Theater Troupe, and a third remembering Renad Thalji.

In a new addition this year, the festival will launch a podcast Layali al-Masrah al-Hurr in collaboration with ASE Creative Media College. The podcast will include interviews with directors, actors, and guests, offering a behind-the-scenes look at theatrical journeys and creative processes.

The youth competition, held alongside the main festival, features seven Jordanian productions: Still Sad and Scary – Khadra Al-Tal (Hamzeh Abu Al-Ghanam), The Jubilee (Dalia Momani), Me, the Torment, and Your Love (Rakan Shawabkeh), Wheel (Othman Ashour), The Blind (Diana Bako), Trying to Direct Foolish Actors (Hussam Hazem), and Smoldering Embers (Noor Abu Summaqa).

Youth entries will compete for multiple awards, including Best Play, Best Actor/Actress, Best Director, Best Scenography, and a Special Jury Prize. The youth jury is headed by director Firas Al-Masri, with members including Mohammad Al-Shar’a (Jordan), actress Hanan Sadiq (Tunisia), Ahmed Al-Rawas (Oman), and Abdullah Masoud (UAE).

//Petra// AF
14/07/2025 00:13:59