Scandal: Lebanese Interior Ministry Bans Theater Performance

Rabih Mroue’s work will show in France, Italy, Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt, but not in his home country Lebanon. Another shameful episode for our philistines in charge.

A Threat?

The entire fuss is about his last play “Nancy”. According to the New York Times:

“Nancy” presents an episodic history of Lebanon’s 15-year civil war through the experiences of four fighters who served in different militias. For the duration of the performance, Mr. Mroué; his wife, Lina Saneh; and two other actors sit on a couch meant for three. Above each actor’s head, like speech balloons in a comic strip, are a microphone and a screen projecting posters of the “martyrs” and militias that are common to this day on the streets of Beirut.

The four characters tell stories of contradiction that ricochet off one another. They will adhere to an ideological position and then change it. They pledge loyalty to a political leader and then betray him. They make allies and then forsake them. They switch sides and get lost.

What’s funny is that Mr. Mroue’s critique is far more tasteful and less venomous than most of the programming on Lebanese TV or statements made by politicians. The sensors are not just being heavy-handed, they’re being unfair and hypocritical!

PS: If anyone gets his hand on the “distrubing part” of the play on YouTube, please email it to me and I’ll publish it.