Classical Plays

Jabra

A monodrama inspired by Jabra Ibrahim Jabra's autobiographical writings, especially The First Well, prepared by Tarek El Sayed, Emil Saba, and Khalid Massou, and directed by Emil Saba.

Jabra Ibrahim Jabra

Jabra Ibrahim Jabra was a novelist, short story writer, poet, painter, literary and art critic, and translator. He was born in Bethlehem on August 28, 1920 and died in Baghdad on December 12, 1994.

He wrote his autobiography in The First Well and Princess Street, studied in Bethlehem and Jerusalem, and produced major works including Hunters in a Narrow Street, The Ship, and Searching for Walid Masoud.

Inad Theater

Inad Theater began its work in 1987 with the belief that theater is a vital tool of expression in a land resisting occupation. For decades, the company has turned the stage into a space for creativity, resistance, dreams, and collective memory through productions for children and adults.

To mark this artistic journey, Inad Theater chose to celebrate Jabra Ibrahim Jabra of Bethlehem by bringing his autobiographical world, especially The First Well, into a theatrical work that enters the vivid landscape of his childhood memories.

Director's Words

Jabra is one of the most important Palestinian and Arab writers. Building a one-actor performance from his autobiography required a theatrical language that could preserve the spirit of the text. The work focuses on the formative figures and moments of his childhood while holding onto the humor, innocence, and hope that shape The First Well.

About the Play

This one-actor play follows Jabra from the age of five to twelve, tracing the growth of his awareness, intellect, and emotions as he moves through Bethlehem and Jerusalem. The performance draws on memory and daydreaming to stage childhood as a living blend of logic, poetry, and fragmented stories that echo one another through time.

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