Kuwait Carnival
This is the second time in a short span that I have gone to see a play with my children. I previously wrote about the content of the first play, and today I will first discuss the theater where it was staged, before turning to the work itself. When I was invited to attend the play, I asked: Where? And in which theater? The response was: “At Kuwaitian Theater.” So I asked: Kuwaitian Theater? Tell me about it. They replied: “It’s fine inside, but the entrance and stairs are a bit tricky, so be careful.” Honestly, I didn’t quite grasp what they meant. I thought perhaps the theater had become historic, and they had even preserved its old stairs! Kuwaitian Theater holds many memories for me from the 1960s and 1970s. I remember taking my sisters to watch the play “The Rooster Crows,” featuring the artist Mohammed Al-Mansour, the artist Mariam Al-Saleh, the late Haya Al-Fahad, the late Abdulaziz Al-Masoud, and others. That was, I believe, in the early 1970s. Back then, theater was high above us—a refined art, refined scripts, purposeful humor, and artists who left their mark on the memory of Kuwait and the Gulf. Kuwaitian Theater, as we called it back then, I believe was built in the early 1960s. Its name changed several times, and after liberation, it was known for a period as Liberation Theater. Honestly, I no longer know its official name today. Like our other old theaters, it suffered years of neglect. Then, the Dasma Theater emerged; at the time, it was tidy and modern. But it too eventually declined. Recently, I heard there is a trend toward offering some of these theaters to the private sector. I hope this marks the beginning of their revival, not merely a change in management. Later, the theater of the late Abdulhussein Abdulredha was built, followed by new cultural facilities, headed by the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Center. Yet theatrical work never stopped throughout those years, although some works took a different direction in terms of weak scripts and lower standards.
Anyway, I arrived at the theater, looked around, and said to my daughter: “Looks like we’re lost. This is Kuwait Club, not Kuwaitian Theater!” She laughed and said: “The theater is inside Kuwait Club.” I was truly shocked. I had expected to watch the performance in that historic theater and relive some of those beautiful memories. But when I entered and saw the entrance and stairs that truly required “care” to avoid tripping, my chest tightened. I thought: Until when? Why don’t creators of good theatrical works choose better-equipped venues, such as the late Abdulhussein Abdulredha Theater? Or even the cinema in one of the shopping malls that has been converted into a theater? And why doesn’t the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Center host some of the good popular theatrical works? Is the problem the price? The script? The conditions? Or the usual bureaucracy? Personally, I have no answer. But what I do know is that a good work needs a good theater. Putting up a sign in any club and calling it a theater is not very nice, nor does it befit the history of theater in Kuwait.
Then there is a more important question than shape and decor: Are such theaters actually compliant with building and fire safety regulations? The answer could be yes or no. I am not accusing anyone here, nor am I asserting non-compliance, as I do not know. But ensuring safety and security requirements should not be a secondary concern.
Anyway, back to “Kuwait Carnival.” The work had a musical theme; it was sweet and enjoyable. The audience had fun. The script, for the most part, was rooted in Kuwait and in old artistic works that the play’s organizers chose as its core—a beautiful attempt to preserve our artistic memory and Kuwaiti cultural heritage. It carried a clear message calling for love and rejecting division. I believe the script was originally prepared to be staged during the “Hala February” celebrations, but perhaps the events that occurred in the region led to postponing the performance. Overall, it is a fine work that deserves credit for the obvious and considerable effort of its organizers. I hope those in charge of Kuwait’s cultural and artistic sectors will give theater the attention it deserves—not only by supporting artists and producers, but by providing theaters that honor Kuwait’s rich theatrical history. Theaters that respect both the artist and the audience, from sound and lighting quality to seats, aisles, stairs, emergency exits, and parking. Kuwait does not lack artists, nor does it lack an audience. What it sometimes lacks is the theater.
Thank you.
Adnan Abdullah Al-Othman
