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We have created the foundation for our recent and future work, namely the theatrical laboratory; we have created this at the theatre academy of Baghdad(right now). This foundation links to other theatrical institution and non theatrical institution in Baghdad. Like NGO's, who are working in the field of theatre and social matters.
In this laboratory, we examine and practice new methods of theatrical presentation in comparison with the traditional way of presentation on the Iraqi theatrical scene, and also examine the mechanism of our possible achievement on the two perspectives that we are working on, inside and outside our workshops. We examine in our workshops the traditional inheritance and its influence on the theatrical achievement. Like rituals, social tradition, ceremonies and rites.
At the beginning of our work
Right now and due to the circumstances in Baghdad, all performances and workshops were designed especially for certain programs and certain groups, in terms of choosing the place, themes, and timing, and these facts are crucial, specially now, when the violent and the chaotic situation, and the social disorder which spread after the fall of the last regime became a daily fact that we have to deal with it.
Right now we design the show and the workshops at our base at the theatre academy before we go to the community; the mood and the tolerance of people are very low, so, we would not have any surprises, although we can not avoid these spontaneous reactions, because our work is based mainly upon that, but we have to take the utmost precautions to avoid problems.
The idea of asking the audience to integrate and participate in what we do and with what they see is so alienated from the Iraqi theatre tradition, so to build up a connection at first and a kind of trust between the actor and the audience, was an additional task to do in our process of work.
We build up this trust gradually by showing the way it works, and we train in front of the audience to make an example of the way it is practiced.
There are various questions to explore within the Iraqi society, like to address a conflict, or to explore certain question, or to stimulate changes that we or the community has achieved recently. |
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