Eazess International Festival for women’s theatre has announced it will honour several female personalities, who enriched the theatrical movement in Egypt and the Arab world, during its inaugural edition scheduled for 15-21 September.
Head of the festival, Abeer Lotfy, said that this edition will be named after late writer Fathia Al-Assal. The festival will also honour late actress Shwikar; former president of the Hanager Center for Arts, Hoda Wasfi; founder of the Caravan Troupe for Independent Theatre, Effat Yehia; actress Najat Ali, Lebanese actress Nidal Al-Askhar, and late director Eman Salah El-Din.
Lotfy said Al-Assal inspired the festival’s founding committee to launch this event, asserting the late writer’s interest in social and political matters, especially women’s issues.
Shwikar performed her first role in “The Artistic Secretary” play, along with her success partner, Fouad El-Mohandes, with whom she presented almost all of her theatrical works.
Nidal Al-Ashkar founded Al-Madina Theater in 1994 to be a free platform to the Arab and Western world. Nidal received the honour of Chevalier De L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French Ministry of Culture.
Hoda Wasfi, a professor of French literature, was one of the most important figures who influenced the theatrical movement through her writings. She managed the Hanager Center for Arts for more than 20 years, supporting the independent Egyptian theatre movement.
Effat Yehia was one the founders of the independent theatre movement in the 1990s, and founded the Caravan Troupe which presented a number of successful plays that discuss women’s issues.
Najat Ali was one of the most important professors of acting in Egypt.
Iman Salah El-Din was one of the founders of the Anna Al-Hekaya group, which worked on correcting stereotypes about women.
Actress Sawsan Badr will be the honorary president of the festival, which is held under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture.
Eazess International Festival is an annual festival specialising in theatre performances concerned with women’s issues, which are inseparable from community issues locally and internationally, regardless of the gender of its makers.
The festival will also present theatrical performances created by women.
