Μόλις εχθές έλαβα το παρακάτω email, γισ μένσ είναι μια προσπάθεια για επιβίωση και ανακούφιση, για εσάς;
Sharif Abdunnur teaches theatre/drama for International Baccalaureate (IB) at a school in Beirut.
He also devises and directs plays with young students and amateurs from the community.
He stages 2 plays in ...Beirut...this week!!
Publicity will encourage them
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Theater under the shelling – looking for help
I want to thank you all – the emails I have received have been overwhelming… I am touched by your sentiments and your good wishes… and your desire to help…
Truly thank you for it all - it really means the wrold to me... and help me and the group continue as I share ur thoughts with them on a daily basis
Well I have attached a bunch of pics from the workshop with the kids and I am going to list out what we are doing and what we need help with.
The group working is my Troupe (Masrah Al Arab), Al Jana Organization (Dr Moutaz Al Dajani) and the theater itself Masrah Al Madina (Ms Nidal Al Ashkar). The Madina Theater Family, have been amazing – truly pioneers in the community – this would not be possible without their great willingness to give and support the community at large.
The Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Al Jana are truly superb and I have been lucky to work with them on many workshops and projects before and are also some of the most efficient and socially active groups I have had the pleasure to be with. God bless both these groups truly they are angels at this time of need.
We are doing two activities:
1) a theater workshops and theater games for children from ages 4 to 13, the kids number between 26 and 36 depending on the day (they fluctuate) – 3 hour workshop a day (every day). Daily workshop and a hope that we open a play we are currently working on which we devised for the situation called the “Suitcase”. The play will include kids and adults from the displaced families as well as the professional troupe all acting together.
2) A workshop with adults from the troupe and from the displaced families as well as various volunteers… the intensive workshop is working on audience participation and improvisation a pieces. In the hope to perform next Thursday – we are planning to open a play called “Laughter under the Bombs” and audience participation piece. The kids play will open the week after (hopefully – we need two weeks with the kids to get them ready)
I am going to provide you with summaries of the plays… and information about them…
What we need at present:
a) our main need is publicity – if you have contacts with local press in your own countries or here… or even better international press of any type – we just want the whole world to see that the people refuse to give up – and that theater has an active and effective role in healing and survival under these circumstances.
So please we need publicity of the workshops – and of the play itself – so interviews, press reviews… I can provide high quality photos and can arrange for interviews and all that is needed – so please give them my contact:
Sharif Abdunnur
Cell Phone 00961-3-858305
Or email sa18@aub.edu.lb or sabdunnur@yahoo.com
b) although we would love to have supplies and materials (like art supplies, food , blankets, clothes…) but the problem is that the blockade has made this impossible… nothing can come in unless by international organizations and even then honestly it doesn’t seem to get here most of the time. So the only thing that can be sent in is money transfer… but please I don’t want you to go bankrupt sending things in – I know this is a problem we all face – on one I know has yet to make a fortune from theater : ) – but if you know of organizations or group who would like to help – or you want to help within your means… we would like to by supplies for the theater and be able to pay for the generators for the theater to have electricity of the theater and ventilation for the audience and the families living there… this is a burden we are currently handling ourselves as well as the theater which is paying fro the brunt of it all… if you are interested in this email me the amount you want to transfer and if you have any wishes of where you would like that money spent please specify (if not that’s also fine) the account I am supplying is that of the NGO Al Jana which is a registered group and a truly trust worthy one… but nonetheless do send me an email of what you transferred 9the amount) and if you have nay wishes for where it should be spent… the account
Arab Bank, Mazra Branch, account # 612 879 – 810 Beirut, Lebanon
Summaries of the Plays
“Laughter Under the Bombs” the setting a local café with a giant TV screen in the back. Actors are all wearing T-shirts with words actor and their number on it. The director sits in the audience with the same type of T-shirt. The actors start tot ell the tales of their lives and what happening tot hem – but the problem arises that many of the actors are missing so audience members are selected at random and brought on to the stage where they have to improvise the roles – and create a live dialogue during the playa bout the current situation. While the insane director keeps screaming instructions at his actors and audience volunteers to redo lines and change acting styles…. Its very interactive and comic play.
Director, Concept, and Skeleton script is by Sharif Abdunnur
Actors: members of the professional troupe, volunteers from displaced families, several kids from the displaced families ( about 10 actors)
This will open next Thursday for 3 or 4 nights
Free entrance – theater seats 500+
Expected duration 1 to 2 hours depending on the audience
Costs paid by myself and all of us working on it
“The Suitcase” a comic play about forced displacement of families. A bunch of suitcases are delivered to the border checkpoint to be sent back into Beirut rather than out. The border patrol is shocked especially when the baggage starts to move and seems to be trying to sneak in by itself… a hilarious scene ensues when the police attempt to catch the baggage. Finally families and lots of children start to emerge from the suitcase and explain that they want to go back home, no matter what is happening they wont leave their country or home… they speak about children’s rights, and what they have in their bags of what they cherish from their home sand lives… and how they will never give up. A touching comedy for a family audience.
Director, Concept by Sharif Abdunnur
Script Material: The children and Sharif Abdunnur
Stage Script: Sharif Abdunnur
Actors: mainly kids from the displaced families, and other volunteers (about 20-30 actors)
This will open in about 12 days (as the kids take longer to prepare with)
Free entrance – theater seats 500+
Expected duration 1 hour depending on the audience
Costs paid by myself and all of us working on it
Once I translate the script I can send it to anyone who is interested – and if you like I would love it if you would produce you own version of it along with ours – that would be a great connection!!!
I hope to hear from you and I truly appreciate all your support and emails
Thank you from all my heart for everything
And I hope we can meet again soon : )
Sincerely
Sharif
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