From the land of Egypt and the stage of El Salam Theater came an unforgettable experience watching the play “Al-Teatro.” It offered two hours of pure visual and auditory delight—spanning set design, songs, acting performances, and a compelling message. In short, I was fortunate to enjoy a purposeful, highly entertaining production that excelled across every theatrical dimension. I will not deconstruct or analyze every individual element of “Al-Teatro” here, as each component truly deserves an article of its own. Instead, I want to highlight the director, Ahmed Fouad—a maestro who conducted his theatrical symphony with outstanding directorial mastery. His artistic vision gave every single element its due space, seamlessly integrating dramatic technique and stage presentation. The play unfolded like a harmonious musical composition, rich in thought, performance, and directorial craft that left the audience completely immersed in the true essence of theater. It was a feeling we had sorely missed, and “Al-Teatro” brought back those beautiful, authentic meanings of what theater should be. The director skillfully leaned into the core theme: “Give me a theatre, and I will give you a civilization.” his is the kind of theater we grew up with and read so much about—where the civilization and history of any nation are born from its culture and dramatic arts. Theater is the mother of all arts, a mirror reflecting a country’s identity. That remains the driving theme of “Al-Teatro,” which demonstrates that no matter how tastes, conflicts, conditions, or social classes evolve, genuine talent and refined art always triumph across the ages. As mentioned at the outset, this piece is not a formal breakdown or critique. Rather, these lines serve as a message of gratitude to all those responsible in the Arab Republic of Egypt, led by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, for supporting Egyptian and Arab culture so that Egypt remains the beacon of Arab culture and the pioneer of Arab theater. Thank you to the entire cast and crew of “Al-Teatro,” and special thanks to director Ahmed Fouad for this exceptional show—specifically for championing young talent, blending their energy with established heavyweights of Egyptian and Arab theater through a distinct directorial vision. Director Ahmed Fouad Author’s biography Nermin al-Houti is an associate professor of the Department of Criticism at the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Kuwait. She holds a PhD in Philosophy of Literary Criticism and is a graduate of the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts. Houti is a member of the Association of Writers and the Journalists Association, and is also part of the literary arbitration committees on theater or poetry in Kuwait and other Arab countries. She has authored numerous newspapers and magazines articles and several books on significant theatrical works examining women’s issues, the latest of which is “The Women in Ismail Abdullah’s Theater”. She has been chosen as a panelist in various significant cultural events and has participated in multiple seminars across the Arab region. The post Al-Teatro appeared first on Egypt Independent.
