World Theatre Day
Yesterday we wrote a report on the occasion of World Theater Day anniversary and we said that Sudanese theatre enjoyed its golden period in the 1960s and 1970s, before floundering during years of economic hardship and civil war. We had a pioneering and respected theater, and a state-supported theatrical movement which had its considerable participation in most local events in the country, through which distinguished innovations and bright talents emerged in directing, acting and writing theatrical texts with a high degree of awareness.
Then the curtain fell and the light of the stage was clearly dimmed during the black 30 years of Al-Bashir dictatorship. But even after the glorious revolution which overthrew that dictatorship the situation is still the same until now.
But we are sure, that all the streets of Sudanese cities, after the advent of the revolution, have turned into a great theater in which there are all kinds of drama, depicting the eternal conflict between good and evil; the absurd theater with its political projections, the tragedy in its worst manifestations, the black comedy with its heroes, the savage clowns of the leaders and members of the armed movements and their deceived followers.
For valuable insight on the occasion, we managed to contact Dr. Khalid Al-Mubarak Mustafa who is a Professor of Theatrical Literature in Sudan besides his considerable contributions in the revival of Sudanese theater. Dr Khalid comments were as follows:
27 March World Theatre Day
UNESCO has designated 27th of March as World Theatre Day in an effort to underline the fact that theatre and the arts are not mere accessories in human society; but are the crucible of the best shared human values and aspirations.
This, by an extraordinary coincidence, demonstrated at the University of Khartoum. In 1976 I directed a play that was based on the Shulluk ritual of investiture of their Reth (supreme ruler).
It ends with the new Reth subjected to a grueling attendance of an event during which he sits silently to listen to comments criticism and advice from members of the community.
The Sudan was ruled by the temperamental and erratic military dictator (Numeiry). I wrote the speeches to tackle how people felt Inflation, health, schools; but also the danger of power intoxication.
The play was performed at the main Examination Hall, then at Sudan Television and the National Theatre during a festival. Unfortunately, president Numeiry didn’t attend the National Theatre’s performance as planned.
I was criticized by an Islamist called Imam Alssheikh who published a newspaper article criticizing my choice of a” pagan” ritual.
He was both right and wrong. The play was indeed a contribution to the nationally raging arguments about national cohesion/cleavage; about relations among the country’s ethnic and religious groups. Six years after our play the SPLA armed group was formed.
In 2011 Southern Sudan seceded.
Our university play, which was recorded by German television, had a say which was not recognized by Mr. Imam Alsheikh who resented a Muslim lecturer handling a non-Islamic theme.