Iraqis find a Better Life in the Theater
For refugees in Syria, it's a welcome reminder of home
Iraqi theater developed into a cultural institution during Saddam's rule, despite his support of the military over the arts and his heavy-handed censorship. "In the beginning, when American forces took Iraq, we were very happy to have freedom. We could make whatever we wanted that didn't depend on the government," says Mohsen Mohammad, actor and retired longtime director of the Iraqi National Theater, who has started an organization to support Iraqi actors, directors, and playwrights in Syria.
Theaters, however, were looted in the wake of the American invasion and have since closed because of the violence. There are no longer government censors, but new threats effectively suppress any mention of religion or the competing militias helping to drive the cycle of violence in present-day Iraq. Even in Syria, such topics are taboo. "We think about returning to Iraq, so we have to make sure our page is clean," Najjar says. And if the old government provided only token support for the arts, the new government gives even less. "What makes us laugh now is that in the time of democracy and liberation, there is no interest in theater at all," Najjar says.
Syria, by contrast, offers security and a measure of freedom. "I'm happy to be here in Syria. It's safe here. We can move freely. We can work," says Walid al-Hussein, an Iraqi television actor who performs in Don't Play With Fire. He moved to Damascus with his wife and three children late last year. "As an actor, if I keep on working, I feel like I'm alive. But if I stop, I will die," he says. Ticket prices are relatively inexpensive, ranging from $1.50 to $5, although theater managers often offer discounts for families or for those who say they can't afford it.
On opening night in May, the audience for Don't Play With Fire greeted each actor's first appearance on stage with sustained applause. During set changes, young men danced in the aisles to loud Arabic pop music. The audience erupted in laughter at punch lines, as if on cue. "All Iraqis are so thirsty for Iraqi culture," says al-Joumayli, the avuncular playwright and lead actor, who before the performance sat at the doors to the theater welcoming patrons. "That's why you see this audience: because they are so thirsty for Iraqi culture. When they have the opportunity, they will take it immediately."
Iraqi refugees currently in:
Syria 1,200,000
Jordan 750,000
Elsewhere 200,000
Sources: Refugees International, news reports
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