Great Egyptian writer Tawfiq El-Hakim is one of Egypt’s most brilliant minds of the 20th century. His prolific career bridged several forms of writing: theater, fiction, political analysis, philosophical writings, journalism, short stories, biographies, religious ruminations and poetry.
El-Hakim’s plays rank among his most exciting works. In more than 60 works, written between 1933 and 1975, he toyed with presented ideas and with new dramaturgical techniques. Trying to create a unique Egyptian theater style pushed him to experiment with the form and the content of his plays, which ranged from the historic to the absurd. He tackled legendary characters in “Scheherazade and biblical ones in “People of the Cave. He addressed absurd concepts in “Tree Climber and examined modern female-male relationships in “Fate of Cockroach. None of his plays are alike, yet they all share a special brilliance in characterization, wit and poignant dialogue.
“The Thief, which premiered the end of last week at the American University in Cairo’s Malak Gabr Arts Theater, is the latest production by the Department of Performing and Visual Arts. The play predates the1952 revolution. It was initially published in a collection of plays with 20 other works in 1950. In the height of modernism, in a society that was brewing with change, this play attempted to reveal what’s beneath the surface of corruption.
Initially, the thief of the title is believed to be Hamed, the young man who attempts to break into the villa of an Egyptian Pasha. Hamed falls in love with Khairiya, the young woman he crosses paths with, and tries to help her escape the claws of the Pasha, her step-father. Through a series of twists, orchestrated by Khairiya, Hamed marries the young woman, and is made a manager of one of the Pasha’s companies.
Through the course of the play, the real thief is revealed to be the Pasha; a corrupt businessman who steals public money and seduces young women, including his own step-daughter Khairiya. Hamed proves to have more integrity and honor than the Pasha, who is made an honorary president for the “Society of the Virtuous.
This play can be seen as a precursor to the Egyptian revolution that exposed the decadence of aristocracy and attempted to distribute the wealth equally among people.
Some of these issues still resonate in the present: the widespread corruption, the widening gap between the rich and poor, and lack of respectable work opportunities for most graduates.
Alas, the production of the American University in Cairo was not able to make that connection between the classical text and current pressing concerns.
Directed by Mahmoud El-Lozy, “The Thief had the feel of a piece of vintage, not in the sense of its classicism, but in the staleness of the performance. Acknowledging that it is a student production, the performance, nonetheless, left a lot to be desired in acting, staging, and pace.
None of the performers were able to connect to or convey the emotional reality of their characters. The actors were delivering empty lines, with such flatness that made the confrontation scene between the Pasha and his wife comical.
The emotionally detached acting and the non-Egyptian cadence of many of the actors amplified the alienation feel of the experience. The play doesn’t attempt to channel Brecht’s epic theater per se; the induced feel of separation is a byproduct of the performers’ sheer inability to create a dramatic moment and pronounce Egyptian Arabic.
The playbill states that El-Hakim’s text is adapted and Egyptianized by professional dramaturg Zeinab Mubarak. Her previous work, an adaptation of Franka Rama’s “The Mother, directed earlier this year by AUC graduate Laila Soliman, attests to Mubarak’s abilities. Regrettably, her adaptation of “The Thief lacked an Egyptian feel.
The elaborate set, designed by Stancil Campbell, lacks color and flirts with the aesthetic of black and white movies. It added more heaviness to the performance, slowing down the already slow pace with long intervals to change the set.
The technically well-equipped space was wasted on a performance that lacked verve and seemed like a lifeless exchange of lines of dialogue. El-Lozy, the veteran director, tried to pump some life into “The Thief via an odd slapstick scene at the expense of compromising the integrity of El-Hakim’s play.
El-Hakim could truly write a comedy of manners like no other Arab dramatist, but the current production of “The Thief lacks the wit, quick banter, and smooth language of his work.
“The Thief is showing tonight, 7 pm, at Malak Gabr Arts Theater. Tel: (02) 2615 1221
