Past Event
Oct 12—16, 2011
The Speaker’s Progress
Sulayman Al-Bassam
In a totalitarian state somewhere in the Arab World, all forms of theatre have been banned, but a condemned 1960’s classic play has become the focal point for resistance blogs and underground, dissident Twitter movements…
The Speaker’s Progress uses Twelfth Night as a starting point to explore events in the Middle East, transforming Shakespeare’s comedy into a satire on the decades of political inertia that have fed recent revolts across the Arab region and a daring theatrical metaphor for the mechanisms of dissent. The piece will evolve as circumstances in the region change, emphasizing the rapid pace of revolution among courageous citizens seeking freedom. This is a rare chance to see a major Middle Eastern theatre company’s provocative and inspiring work.
Info
Venue
Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre
219 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116
“A new history is finding its voice among the millions across the Arab world who stood up and continue to stand—and fall—for dignity and freedom after decades of shame and oppression. This play, forged at the cusp of these two eras, has the fortune—and the responsibility—to be one of its platforms.”
— Sulayman Al-Bassam