Angry mother

Nidal al Achkar is the lead role in the Beiruti theatrical movement. Manager and founder of the Al Madina theater, she offers a center for culture and art in Beirut, even if she herself has lost hope.

Might as well get this one out of the way; what’s your favorite place in Lebanon?

I like so many places, it’s difficult to decide. When I need to relax I go up to my home town, Dik el Mehdi. My brother has a house there amongst pine trees and I love pine trees. I’ll go up for a couple of days every now and then, it isn’t very far but it’s a little oasis in the forest.

Surely you’ve more to say about the city…

Beirut is a love story. It’s a passionate story of my youth and the story isn’t over. I’m still writing it. This Beirut is in its people, its places. The heart of Beirut might have been destroyed in the war but Ras Beirut is still the same. I still identify with it and I still know the shopkeepers, their fathers and sons. Ras Beirut is special. It’s the one non-sectarian area in the country. I have my theater on Hamra and this city is my home, my mother even.

I haven’t heard that one often enough.

I know, but Beirut is not the mother she used to be. Men will leave because Beirut doesn’t ask them to stay, she doesn’t hold them. Beirut should forbid her sons from leaving. She should say: ‘come here, we have industries. Come and work, don’t leave, we’re here’. But Beirut now kicks her sons out.

That’s a bit harsh…

I’m not optimistic at all. I’ll continue to work and produce because it’s too late to change. But I’m not optimistic.

But you said you still identified with it…

That’s because of the Lebanese spirit. The Lebanese spirit doesn’t want to retreat, it’s almost ashamed to. But how can I be optimistic when my government is composed of war mongers? They might not be immortal but it’s anyone’s guess whether they’ll outlive the country. Even after years of modern government we have only just been able to take our religion off our ID cards. But we still can’t seem to separate religion from government.

Maybe that’s what drives you to still create?

I suppose what I do does give some measure of hope. Maybe. My plans for the future are certainly meant to help with that.

Sounds brighter, what are your plans?

Big! The 2009 schedule started with ‘At the Embassy Gate, the Night was Long’. After that we’ll have ‘The Rise and Fall of General Franco’, a week for Saadallah Wannous, with a special photography exhibition and a display of his books. I don’t want to just list them, it’ll ruin the surprise. I want to fill the entire year with events. Last but certainly not least, I want to establish the Nidal al Achkar Theater Workshop.

That’ll be interesting…

It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time. The workshop will train people to act and produce and teach them improvisation, vocalization, dance and so much more. A school for the dramatic arts, if you will.

Sort of a hope against hope?

Now I’m trying to get funds for the workshop and I’m looking everywhere. Lebanon loves the theater. It needs it.