Mohammed Al-Humaidi: Supporting writers and creatives to develop their ideas
- The text does not end with the written version... but undergoes several stages during rehearsals and execution.
Artist and director Mohammed Al-Humli emphasized the importance of supporting writers and creators and providing an environment that helps them develop their ideas and scripts. He highlighted his preference for local texts and his commitment to drawing on ideas and stories to present them in a contemporary theatrical form.
Al-Humli’s remarks came during a lecture titled “The Text in Popular Theater,” held as part of the “Cultural Summer 18” festival at Al-Shamiya Theater. The event opened up a space for dialogue regarding the status of the theatrical text and its role in shaping popular productions, as well as ways to develop the experience of private theater in Kuwait.
The lecture was moderated by Dr. Mohammed Al-Muhanna, a professor of criticism and theatrical literature at the Higher Institute for Performing Arts. He discussed with his guest the state of the theatrical text in popular theater, the relationship between the writer, the director, the production team, and the producing entity, and the extent to which these relationships influence the final form of the theatrical work.
Both Al-Muhanna and Al-Humli agreed on the role played by the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters in sustaining cultural activity and organizing events targeting various demographics and age groups. Al-Humli then shared aspects of his own experience, covering school theater, academic theater, and popular theater, as well as various forms of theatrical writing. He stressed that, at its core, the text remains one regardless of its type or target audience.
He noted that the difference lies not so much in the text itself as in its execution and the producing entity that determines its trajectory and final form.
Speaking about the relationship between the author and the production team, Al-Humli stressed that the text does not stop at the written version but goes through developmental stages during rehearsals and execution. The nature of the production may necessitate deleting certain scenes, adding others, or rearranging them to better serve the work. He affirmed that this process does not mean discarding the text, but rather transforming it from a written script into a performance crafted by a large number of artists and technicians.
He hinted that the author’s flexibility and cooperation with the director and the production team are crucial factors in the success of the theatrical experience, citing the experiences of several Kuwaiti writers and directors, particularly writer Badr Al-Muharraqi, “who represents a model of a flexible author who grants the director and his team the space to work on and develop the text to serve the production.”
He also pointed out that comedy theater, in particular, requires room for interaction and change during performances, given the nature of the acting and the energy possessed by some artists. He explained that having a coherent script provides the foundation that allows actors to improvise and add performance details without losing the work’s fundamental direction.
The lecture also touched upon notable experiences in Kuwaiti theater that contributed to diversifying performance forms and developing the relationship with the text, including the works of artist Tariq Al-Ali and director Sulaiman Al-Bassam, among other prominent figures who have enriched the Kuwaiti theater scene.
Al-Muhanna and Al-Humli stressed that the relationship between the “author’s text” and the “director’s text” represents a creative journey during which the text changes and evolves from the writing stage through rehearsals to the final performance. They clarified that this process is a natural and healthy part of theater production, provided its goal is to serve the work and preserve its essence.
They also highlighted the importance of Kuwaiti private theater and its role in the region, noting that many Kuwaiti production companies present works that gain popularity and demand abroad. They considered that developing the theatrical text reflects positively on the image of Kuwaiti theater and its presence in the Gulf and Arab worlds.
The lecturer emphasized the importance of continuing the dialogue on the state of the theatrical text in Kuwait and the means to elevate it, in line with developments in life, the artistic, and media landscapes, thereby enhancing the capacity of popular theater to present more diverse and impactful works. Al-Humli stated that a director may rearrange the structure of the text or the way events are narrated according to his artistic vision, without this necessarily implying abandonment of the original text. He noted that differing visions among directors can result in the same text being presented in multiple forms.
