JEDDAH, 29 October 2007 — A single short workshop in one year is not enough to allow budding-actors in Jeddah learn about acting and polish their drama skills, said the organizers of a recently-held drama workshop in Jeddah.
The Jeddah Drama Group of the Saudi Society of Arts and Culture completed yesterday a 14-day workshop, which was attended by around 40 actors. Egyptian instructor Faisal Al-Shennawi and Khaldon Kurayyem, a Syrian director, ran the workshop.
“For sure that’s not enough. If we have reasonable financial resources we could make it more than once a year lasting for two months at a time,” said Ali Daaboush, manager of the Jeddah Drama Group.
One of the main problems facing the Saudi drama industry is the lack of a professional approach to drama in the Kingdom. Almost all Saudi actors are amateurs, who have other jobs. Most of them have never studied drama and the King Saud University in Riyadh is the only educational institute offering a drama course. Experts say the workshops are not enough, especially in the absence of drama schools in the Kingdom.
The workshop welcomes all male participants above the age of 18. “This year we have with us Saudi poet Eid Al-Khamisi, who wanted to learn about acting in dramas. We accept all applicants and, of course, the workshop is free of charge,” said Daaboush.
However, Daaboush’s note of welcome is not applicable to women. Due to financial constraints, the society’s activities, which include drama photography, music and fine arts, exclusively caters for men. Women are generally absent from Saudi theater and only perform before all-women audiences in schools and universities.
“We hope that we can give women space in the near future. We are currently looking for a new building that would allow us to enroll women,” promised Daaboush. “Of course they will be in a separate section.”
The real beginning of Saudi theater occurred in 1973 when the government founded the Saudi Arabian Society of Culture and Arts and branches were opened all over the Kingdom. The society’s stated purpose was to support art, including theater.
The dreams and struggles of Saudi artists, however, had begun long before 1973. The first attempt to establish Saudi drama was in 1932 when the first script was written by Hussein Siraj, a Saudi poet living in the Western Province.
In 1960, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Sibea attempted to set up a theater group in Makkah; he established an acting school known as the Quraish House for Islamic Acting.
His efforts, unfortunately, came to naught when rehearsals for the first production were stopped and the group was disbanded.
Members of the public interested in participating in the Jeddah Drama Group’s activities are asked to contact the society on (02) 6713350 or via e-mail: [email protected].
