JEDDAH, 22 January 2007 — On Wednesday, for the first time since its founding, the Jeddah Literary Club will allow a group of actors to perform a play on its premises. The play “When Is Spring Coming?” is a production by the Jeddah Drama Group of the Saudi Society of Arts and Culture.
As the club lacks a stage, the director, Khaldoun Kurayyem, decided to perform the one-act play in the club library. The setting of the play is in fact a library and as Kurayyem said, “I believe that the atmosphere in the library will be more intimate and congenial.”
The 40-minute play features three characters: an old man who is a writer, his servant and a young writer.
Kurayyem describes the play as “abstract,” pointing out that it deals with “the crisis of Arab writers and the constant attempts to marginalize them.” It is based on a play entitled, “What Then?” by Bahraini dramatist Habib Ghaloum.
Though there is no law that prevents women from appearing on stage, there is the force of custom and tradition. Women are not allowed to be in the audience of a play.
On Wednesday, however, it will be the second time in Jeddah that women have been allowed to watch a play from a room separate from the male audience.
The first time was last year at a children’s play on the private stage of a Jeddah fun fair.
The play begins at 9 p.m. and, according to drama group manager, Abdullah Bahattab, there may possibly be an open discussion with the audience after the performance.
