Abu Dhabi (Etihad)
The Arts Center at New York University Abu Dhabi revealed the hosting of the contemporary theatrical and poetic work Departure – Departure, written by Emirati writer Reem Al Menhali and directed by award-winning American Joanna Settle, as it deals with issues of identity, femininity and the future. The Arts Center will host four shows between September 29 and October 1, each of which will be followed by a panel discussion with the artists.
Inspirational stories
The bold and innovative work presents a new conception of theatrical production by combining poems in Arabic and English with large images in the background, with the aim of highlighting the theme of the eighth season of the Arts Center, entitled “Stories”, and sharing unique Emirati stories that are characterized by privacy in front of the audience.
Commenting on this topic, Reem Al Menhali, a graduate of NYU Abu Dhabi, winner of the Creativity Award from the Abu Dhabi Group for Culture and Arts, said: “Departure – Departure is a dynamic performance, where when writing scenes, the text is imagined as pages that contain the entire world, transforming into images that embody reality. Emirati women in all stages of their lives and in different cultural environments.
For her part, Joanna Settle, Associate Dean and Professor in the School of Dramatic Arts in the Department of Arts and Humanities, said: “I am pleased to participate again in this project, which is one of the last theater performances presented at the Arts Center before the global live performances stopped due to the Covid-crisis. 19, which is my first show after lifting the restrictions on organizing direct events. The innovative presentation raises new ideas and questions, and is the fruit of the dedication and passion that characterizes the work team.”
series of poems
The show is a joint production by the Arts Center at New York University Abu Dhabi and the Cultural Complex of the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi, and with official support from the American Mission to the UAE. Childhood, through youth, and even old age. Since the launch of the world premiere in 2020, the creative team and the producing company have been keen to re-discover the work in light of the lifestyle that prevailed in the past years.
The performances will be followed by discussion sessions moderated by Nujoom Al-Ghanim, the Emirati poet, film director and visual artist, Nada Reda, the curator and director of the Alserkal Art Foundation, and other well-known personalities to be announced later.
Memories
In turn, Bill Bragin, Executive Artistic Director of the Arts Center at NYUAD, said: “We had the opportunity to participate in Departure, a unique and contemporary Emirati theatrical work, using a new methodology that Joanna Settle called Instant Production. The composition of the work, which combines Arabic and English in a poetic style, reflects the lives of women through images full of memories, providing the opportunity to explore the features of femininity and its impact on audiences of all cultures. At that time, we realized the importance of re-presenting the show so that a larger number of audience could attend. We are pleased to have the opportunity to present it in a new version and to launch more technical dialogues.” Each show is followed by a panel discussion moderated by prominent cultural figures.
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