Directors participating in the ninth edition of the Sharjah Desert Theatre Festival have praised the efforts and initiatives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, for supporting and stimulating the Arab theatre movement. They commended the festival's evolving journey and its constructive role in linking theatre art with Arab cultural and artistic heritage, as well as its remarkable success in attracting audiences. This came during a 'get-together' held by the festival at its guest residence the day before yesterday, which included testimonials from participating directors about their preparations and the key features of their works, in the presence of the Head of the Theatre Department and Festival Director Ahmed Burayhima. Artist Ahmed Al Jasmi stated that the Desert Theatre Festival is one of the unique cultural and artistic events, as it is held in a distinct space and presents content inspired by Arab cultural heritage, noting that the festival receives great attention from His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, who wrote the scripts for the opening shows in previous editions, which contributed to the festival's development and gave it wide acclaim. Iyad Shatnawi, director of the 'Ya Zain' show presented by the Jordanian 'Al Hurra Theatre' troupe, expressed his happiness at participating in this festival due to its exceptional and unique artistic character, thanking Sharjah for its support and development of Arab theatrical experiments. He explained that the festival's atmosphere encourages directors to explore, experiment, and take risks. Jamal Yakout, playwright and director of the 'Zeer Salem' show presented by the Egyptian 'Kreeeshen Group' troupe, praised the festival's idea, which represents a real transition in the history of Arab theatre. Mohamed Al-Sadeq, director of the 'Al Kanaz' show presented by the Libyan 'Zawya' troupe in its first participation, considered that the Desert Theatre Festival brings theatre back to the concept of 'the actor, the text, and the audience' that modern theatre has moved away from, adding, 'This is the real theatre that resembles us.' Falih Faiz, director of the 'Layla and One Thousand and One Nights' show, written by Talib Al Dos and presented by the Qatari production company 'Al Said' for the first time, mentioned that he had attended previous editions of the festival as a guest and had spent three years preparing his participating work to present it in the best possible way. Abdulrahman Al Mulla, director of the 'Jamar Al Ghadha' show, written by Faisal Jawad and presented by the Kalba Association for Folk Arts and Theatre, extended his thanks to His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah for his great efforts and initiatives that have contributed to the Emirati theatre attaining such a high position.
