Wednesday, March 30th, 2011
Students rehearse for play, Photo by Nada Selim
The play was written by Egyptian playwright Naguib Sorour, and directed by Theater department professor Mahmoud El Lozy.
Architecture senior Hassan Aboel Rouss plays the role of Hassan, the folk singer who dies in the beginning and becomes the ghost for the rest of the play. Hassan would sing to express his disapproval at the corruption of the Omda, the town leader, through song. Consequently, he was killed, and his love Naeema had to embark on a journey to reunite his head and body.
"The play discusses corruption,” Aboel Rouss said, “and the revolution happened during rehearsals so we weren't even sure that the play would go on. However, we made it through and the revolution actually inspired us more to discuss the topic of corruption because it's what ignited the revolution.”
El Lozy expressed his appreciation for the art of acting and how he hopes to see it implemented in the play.
El Lozy said, “by directing this play, I want to teach students how to be vital actors, how to work as a united group and how to gain respect for acting. I know where Sorour is coming from, he resonates with me, and we both have a lot of things in common.”
Aboel Rouss said El Lozy, “understands the play and the topic, and he even encouraged us to go to Tahrir during the revolution even though it meant we'd miss rehearsals.”
Actor and designer Ziad Tarek, is playing four roles in the play. He expects good feedback and positive reactions towards the play when it is presented.
“We want to show the audience how a rehearsal goes so we staged the play like it was a rehearsal,” Tarek said.
Aboel Rouss said he thinks, “the audience will appreciate the topic of corruption during the revolution, and we're very happy that we're talking about something that's actually happening right now."
